Another Route
by RayneTDX
Summary: Everyone he cared about, dead. It has always been like this. Tatsumi tries his best to move on, but there are some things he just can't ignore. Being targeted by both Night Raid and the Empire, Tatsumi has to survive no matter the cost, all the while trying to live with the monster he has become. Major spoilers inside. PAIRING UNCONFIRMED.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

**Before I start writing this fanfiction, I just want to say that I am just an amateur writer who only started writing recently. There would be some parts where I may make basic mistakes so please tell me in the reviews so that I can correct it ASAP. Also I do not have a team so all the editing and writing and proofreading are done by me myself. I currently appreciate help from any of you who are willing to do so. With that said, please enjoy the story.**

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 _Volume 1: Chapter 1: Prologue_

The Capital.

That is all we could think of. Our dream of wanting to be in the Capital are coming true.

Our image of the Capital came only from the stories often told by the adults in the village. No one within the village have ever been to the Capital, so most of their stories are based on rumors and the words of traveling merchants.

"I bet the Capital has its streets made out of gold and its people living in mansions." exclaimed an excited Ieyasu. Ieyasu had short unruly, dark brown hair. His hazel eyes filled with anticipation of how the Capital would look like ever since we were told go to the Capital.

"Don't be stupid, Ieyasu. There is no way the streets of the Capital would be made out of gold. Are you sure you aren't dreaming too much of money?" Sayo teased. She is the only girl that hangs out with the two of us. She has long black hair and always seen wearing a white flower pin. Her reply was enough to irritate Ieyasu.

"What do you mean it's not possible. The one thing I am certain of is that the Capital is a place full of riches and hot bab-" Before Ieyasu could even complete his sentence, he found his head being knocked to the ground by an angry Sayo.

"Come on guys, we don't have to fight over things this trivial, right? Sayo, there is no need to resort to violence."

I tried to break up their fight, and calm the angry Sayo. Ieyasu would always do things that would often get himself, with Sayo and me included most of the times, into trouble.

"Also, we can't have him injured before we depart. We wouldn't want to postpone our departure, right?" I added, hoping that Sayo would listen to reason and not beat Ieyasu senseless.

I was told that I had the kind of look that everyone would think of me as innocent, even though I tend to disagree. There are other things about me that I don't agree with. One of it was people think I am kind. That is true when I am out of combat. I found out that I have the ability to push away my emotions when in combat. This started when I lost my parents, who died when I was eight, from an accident. The backlash of this isn't comfortable. Eventually, the guilt and pain of what I had done would catch up to me, and since I never want other to be worried about me, I would make an effort to not show it in my face. Our mentor had once commented that this ability could bring about more harm than good. Other than Sayo and Ieyasu, the only other people who know of his ability of mine is him.

"I guess you're right." Sayo replied, mentally reminding herself to not land another hit to Ieyasu if he says something inappropriate again.

Since we are now teenagers, we were requested by the elder in our village to earn some money in the Capital for their village, a request that all three of us readily accepted. Our village had been heavily taxed by the Capital, which keeps increasing every year. Having no other solution, the elders decided to send us to the Capital to make some money, hoping that this would allow the village to tide over another year.

The sun was almost covered by the horizon. The three of us got up from where we sat and begin making our way towards the outskirts of the village. There is a small but located on the outskirts and it belonged to our mentor. He was a soldier from the of the Imperial Army and would teach us about all kinds of things about surviving in the wild. Though the way he teaches us are somewhat risky. Some of which, he claimed, actually saved his life on a few occasions. We would constantly bug to tell us stories about his time in the Capital, which he willingly obliged only on some occasions. Most of the times he was hesitant to tell us anything, avoiding our questions whenever they were raised.

We pushed open the door and walked in. Embraced by the usual scent of smoke upon entering the house, we found our mentor seated on the couch, anticipating our arrival. He had asked us to meet him upon hearing the news regarding us going to the Capital, saying that he had something important to tell us.

Seeing that his students have arrived, he extinguished his cigarette and began his final lecture.

"Since you guys are going to set off tomorrow, I'm going to give you an important piece of advice while you are in the Capital. Trust no one. Even if someone came to you with the intention to help, do not let down your guard. The Capital isn't as nice as what everyone envisioned it to be. Most of the people there are dangerous, even more dangerous than the Danger Beast that you use to hunt as part of your training. They are much more cunning and opportunistic." our mentor paused and took out another cigarette and light it. He took a puff out of it and slowly exhaled, releasing a small cloud of smoke.

"Enough of this dark topic. Like I said before, since you guys are going to the Capital, I will impart you guys with new equipments. For Ieyasu, I got you a battle axe. I made sure it was made to fit your style of fighting."

Ieyasu was filled with joy and as soon as he laid his hands on the axe and he even started giving it a few practice swings.

"Aww man this feels perfect, thank you thank you thank you!" Ieyasu kept thanking repeatedly as he hugged him.

"For Sayo, I made you a crossbow. It isn't as good as a bow, but deals just as much damage as one. If ever you run out of darts, you can make new ones using the method I have taught you before." Upon receiving it, Sayo heads toward the window and aimed at a nearby branch. She released a shot and moments later, the branch snapped and fell to the ground. "It's perfect!" she exclaimed as she thank our mentor for the gift.

"And finally, Tatsumi. I got you a short sword. This sword is more suited for people who are swift and I think it fits you perfectly. Another item you shall receive would be throwing darts, considering how your fighting style was pretty….unique, yet efficient." I silently accepted my gift and gave the sword a few test swings and thanked him. He then proceed to place a pouch into each of our hands. "Inside this pouch contains all sorts of tools that you may find handy when you are in a tight situation."

We began investigating the contents of the pouch. There was a vial of green liquid, a thin wire bent at some places, some small knifes and a small pistol.

"What's in your hands are my common travel kit whenever my unit and I in the Imperial Army were dispatched to fight on the front lines. The green liquid is actually a synthetic poison made from the venom of a Basilisk which I hunted long ago. This venom can kill someone within 5 minutes. There is no known cure for this venom so be careful not to cut yourself. The wire is used for lock-picking, you never know when you might need it. The small pistol you see is a flare gun. Shoot at the ground and don't look at it. It would blind the enemy and allow you to escape should you encounter trouble. There is also a piece of paper in there on how to make the ammunition."

The three of us marveled at the contents of the pouch.

"Oh, one more thing. If you ever need help, you can approach one of my friends in the Capital. He is about your age and has plenty of experience. You can learn much from him. He always hangs around in pubs. His name is Hikari. There is a scar on his arm in the shape of a cross if you need to verify. Just be careful. He can be quite dangerous sometimes." Our mentor added. "With that said, you are dismissed. Have a safe trip to the Capital."

With that, the three friends said their farewells and head towards their respective homes, preparing for their long journey towards the Capital.

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 **If you see this comment this comment, it means that rewrites for this chapter is done.**

 **Honestly, I wanted to write more for this first chapter but I kinda have nothing more to write about. I may add some stuff into the contents of the next few chapters.**

 **Please Review on my story so that I can improve the contents of my story.**

 **Thank you and have a good day!**


	2. Chapter 2: Shackles of Guilt I

**One, I am gonna post one chapter per week (hopefully) unless things crop up at school.**

 **Two, i noticed how short my chapters are and lacked elaboration. This is however, for the time being, favourable as I do not wish to elaborate much on some unimportant details.**

 **I would try to post longer chapters as i understand the pain of having to wait for something.**

 **Lastly, Thank You to everyone who read, like, follow and review my story.I cant thank you guys enough.**

 **However, this doesn't change the fact that the characters are mortal. They can die at anytime, however, I am trying my best to think of ideas where they continue to survive. I am sorry to anyone who expected this to be a fan fiction where the characters won't die.**

 **With that, I wish you would enjoy reading this fanfiction.**

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 _Volume 1: Chapter 2: Shackles of Guilt I_

Light gradually entered my eyes. I began sitting up on my bed once I have shook off the feeling of drowsiness and looked out of the window. The sun was still covered by the far horizon. The sky was still pitch black with faint traces of blue, signaling that it would be morning soon. Crawling out of my bed, I head over to the kitchen and downed a cup of water. My eyes shifted around the small house, taking in every detail of the place which housed me for the past few years, even during the darkest period of my life. I still remembered the day I was told my parents died. Since that day, I lived alone in this small house. Sometimes Ieyasu, Sayo or the villager elders would pop by to visit me, though I feel that they were just checking up on me. Other than that, I spent my time here, alone and in peace. Eventually, I began to ponder about all the things I will miss about this place after I have left for the Capital.

This was the place that also contained all of the memories of the times I had once spent with my deceased parents, even if I was unable to remember most of it. Sure, life might become even harder now that I can never get to sleep on my bed ever again, but at least I am confident I can manage. I remembered how this bed was my only comfort after a long hard day of training. My mentor was surely a devil when it comes to training. All of his so called 'training' involves us doing things that even the able-bodied adults in our village can't do. Those days were hell, and many times I thought that I would have died. Even if I sometimes resent him for this, I was still thankful to him for what he has done for us.

I went to the nearby stream to wash off the sweat which had accumulated throughout the night. It was snowing, just a little, making the temperature of the environment cool. My village was situated in the northern part of the Empire, which constantly snows all year round.

I dipped myself into the water and felt the cold water stimulate my nerves. Even if I had lived in a cold environment throughout my life, I had never been able to get used to cold water. Even when the other villagers said that I would become gradually become accustomed to it, I did not.

There was still a few hours before our departure to the Capital. I have always wondered what life outside of the village was like. Since my parents were merchants, they would often travel to different cities and villages in the Empire to sell their goods, I would always ask them for stories of the outside world and how everything was like, which they were always happy to tell me. Every time they went off on their journeys,i would only see them again after a month. Since they don't wish to put me into unnecessary danger, I was always made to stay at home and look after the house. When I was will young, they would hire a babysitter. Over time, they would stop hiring one since I was able to live on my own. Living alone was boring, and the only thing that kept me going was the thought of my parents coming back. Thus, the news of them dead was a shock to me, knowing they may never come back.

While I was within my reverie, I heard the sounds of movement. It was approaching the stream where I was. My mind was brought out of my thoughts and instantly I readied myself for combat. No one in the village wakes up this early in the morning. The only other possibility would be a Danger Beast.

I waited and continue waiting. The sound of movement was still there, and getting louder with each passing second.

"Eh? Tatsumi? What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

Sayo emerged from the forest.

I relaxed, knowing that there wasn't any danger nearby.

"I'm just taking a bath. I will be getting out soon."

"I see."

I proceeded to walk out of the water, hoping to head to where my clothes are.

" Ermm…...is it okay for you to stay for a while?"

I stopped my actions. Throughout her question, her face was red. She must have been feeling unwell and wanted me to stay in case she gets into trouble.

"Okay."

I went back to the spot where I was before. The water was still cold, and I am slightly shivering. How did everyone else get used to this? This is just uncomfortable.

She went to where my clothes are and began to strip. Trying not to be rude, I looked away, which was hard to do. My eyes seem to be attracted to her, even though I tried my hardest to look the other way.

Eventually, I resolved myself to push my body underwater, hoping that this will prevent myself from any attempts to peak at her. I forgot how long I was underwater, as the next time I surfaced, Sayo was already in water. The water covered most of her body, which was a relief.

"Tatsumi, are you scared?" She said after a while.

Our backs are now facing each other.

"Not really, why?"

"We are going to the Capital. Even though I always wanted to go there, I can't help but feel scared. We will be in an unfamiliar place, and who knows what might happen. Should anything bad happens, who will help us. Just thinking about it makes me scared."

I remained in silence. It is normal for her to be scared. She always lived in the comfort of the village, where something bad seldom happens. Going to a unfamiliar place with strangers everywhere, being uncertain of the future are common things that people would fear. Even I had once feared about what would happen to me in the future, and that was when I had shut myself in my house, silently crying over why my parents left me in this world. I was worried about how others would look at me, about how they may abandon me, just like my parents.

"I think it's normal to be scared. Since we will be alone in a place we don't know. But at last we have each other. Friends who will always stick together through thick and thin. Should anything happen, Ieyasu and I will protect you."

I wasn't sure what her expression was at that time and neither can I see it. But if I have turned around, I would have saw her face, red as beet.

"Thank you."

 **…**

I double-checked my belongings and my equipment, making sure that I have brought everything that I needed. I have changed into fresh new clothes.

Hearing a knock at my door, followed by the voices of my two friends calling me. I picked up my bags and equipment and head towards the door. Just before opening the door, I turned and looked around the house. It was now empty, with only the books on the shelves left untouched. Taking a final glance at the room, I turned around and opened the door. The smiles of both Ieyasu and Sayo was what welcomed me. I slowly closed the door, trying my best to take in as much as I can see into my mind. Once the door was fully closed, I proceeded to lock it. I turned the lock, hearing that click for the last time.

Maybe when I have enough money to spare, I might buy myself a house just like this one and spend the rest of my life living inside of it.

The three of us walked towards the gate of our village. Everyone in our village has gathered to say their well-wishes and farewells to the three of us. As we approached the gate, everyone surrounded us and began speaking to us one by one. Some were giving us trinkets, others gave us tools and clothing, some even gave us more food and money for our journey. Finally, the village elder approached us.

"You three have grown so much and done so much for this village. It pains me to have to send you off to the Capital, towards an uncertain future where anything can happen to the three of you. As a gift, take this statue."

He passed a miniature statue to me, who accepted it humbly.

"Keep it close to you, and when you are in trouble, j-"

"Sell it right?" I cut him off with a straight face.

"NO! DON'T DO THAT! When you are in trouble, keep it close to you and god will offer his help to you."

At one side, Ieyasu was laughing at my joke, while Sayo was chiding him for laughing.

"Tatsumi, among the three of you, you are the most reliable one. Even in grave danger, you are able to face it with a calm mind and make sound decisions. I entrust their well-being to you and hope you would take good care of them and not let them get themselves into trouble." the village elder said.

"You can count on me. I won't let these two get into any trouble when I'm around."

"Alright. Now make haste. The journey to the capital would be long and hard. So please be alert and safe at all times. May we meet each other again in the future and the best of luck to you! " the village elder said as everyone waved their hands to the three of us, bidding us farewell.

The three of us waved back at them and began to walk away. Towards an unknown future in the Capital. Who knows what would await us there.

 **...**

To say that our journey was smooth sailing was pretty kind. It was anything but smooth. Just days after leaving our village, we were ambushed by bandits.

" Guys, we are outnumbered. If I wasn't mistaken, there was a bandit hideout nearby. Prepare yourself. I doubt we can escape without a fight. It's best we do not fight against them head-on. Just go on defensive, like what we do during our training. Sayo, shoot anyone you find in your range. Ieyasu, protect our rear. I will lead the way and try to find a way out of here."

I swung my sword to parry someone's sword. It was pretty exhausting, given that I have to look out for danger at every direction. From the corners of my eyes, I can see that Ieyasu himself isn't having an easy time either, holding off a bunch of bandits. Sayo was shooting her arrows from her crossbow, which are coated with the poison that their mentor gave.

The three of us went into the forest, thinking that this was the fastest route to get us to the Capital. However, it wasn't long before we noticed that we have been surrounded by bandits and now we were fighting our way of of the forest.

Bandits began to fall one by one. However, every time one is killed off, two more would take their place. It's like as if they have an entire army on their side. Before we realised it, we were overpowered. Ieyasu was exhausted and reaching his limit soon. Sayo is running out of arrows and is currently equipped with her hunting knife. Ahead, just a few more meters is the way out of the forest.

"Ieyasu, switch with me. I will defend the rear."

Ieyasu went ahead of me while I slowed down, waiting for Sayo to overtake me. We continued with this formation for the rest of the journey out of the forest.

Perhaps it was a stroke of bad luck, or pure coincidence, someone threw a knife at my legs. I was forced to stop to avoid getting injured. It was at this time that bandits jumped into my path, effectively blocking my escape route and cutting me off from the rest of my friends. I am now surrounded.

"RUN! WE'LL MEET UP AT THE CAPITAL!" Seeing that we are in an unfavorable position, I asked for them to run ahead and hopefully meet up again when it's safe. Using the flare gun, they aimed it towards the ground. A bright flash of light that lasted for several seconds emerged at the spot here it was fired at. When the light subsided, Ieyasu and Sayo are gone. Seeing that both Sayo and Ieyasu were able to safely escape from this place, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Boss, they've escaped."

"At least we have this one to entertain us before we kill him"

All the other bandit roared in agreement.

Analyzing his situation, I tried to formulate a way to escape. There are two best way to get away from this situation. One of it would be to use the pistol to get away. It could work but I may still have people on my tail. The second would be to kill them all off. This is favorable as I would effectively get rid of anyone on my tail. It would also help make this route safer for future travelers. Only problem would be how long before I run out of stamina. I will need to exercise extreme precaution.

"What's the matter boy? Giving up?" One of the bandits taunted.

Silence. I remained in silence, mentally preparing myself for what's to come

"Well if you're giving up. For killing my comrades, I SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH!" It seems that his guys has a flair for theatrics

He charged towards me. I waited his strike and countered his strike when it came. Since he was caught off-guard, I rushed forwards and stabbed my blade through his throat. More bandits began to charge towards me, each one angry that I had killed off their comrade. I dodged all of their slashes and countered their strikes, dealing the killing blow whenever an opportunity arises. This continued for the next few minutes until only a handful are left. By now my muscle are sore and my bones are aching. It hurt to move.

"Out of energy are we? Well that's just too bad. I was beginning to enjoy this fight. What a pity. Well whatever. DIE! " one of the bandit said as he swung his sword towards my head. Relying on willpower, I raised my sword to block. Since I can't muster up any strength, the blade crashed against each other, before his blade slide off of mine. He fell forward in surprise. Maybe he didn't anticipate that there wasn't any power in the block or something. This created an opening, which I intend to fully utilize. I turned my body, bringing my blade with the momentum, slicing the bandit in the chest. He fell to the ground and slowly bled to death. I readied myself for the next strike, wherever it may come from, I could feel myself about to collapse at any moment.

Looking at the remaining bandits with dead cold eyes, I started to charge towards them, using whatever strength I have left. The remaining bandits, who somewhat began to fear me, ran for their lives in every direction. I charged, hoping to hunt them all down. It didn't work, as the first step I took cause me to fall face first into the ground.

"I have to meet up with Ieyasu and Sayo." I said to myself as I tried to push myself off the ground in which I laid. However, as I was too tired, I fell unconscious, succumbing to the darkness, which claimed my vision.

 **…**

Two merchants were passing through the forest when they noticed a young boy on the ground, unconscious. He laid amidst a pile of bodies, all scattered across the ground around him. They got out of their caravan and went towards him. They checked him for signs of life before carrying him onto their caravan.

"He's exhausted."

"I wonder if he was the one responsible for all these corpses?"

"In any case, we better get him a place to rest. It would be dangerous to sleep here. Bandits run rampant around this area."

"Yeah, let's just let him rest in our caravan. Surely he must also be heading towards the Capital."

"Okay."

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 **If you see this message, it just means that Chapter 2 rewrite is complete.**

 **For the reader who read the previous version, you would have noticed the difference. I added the Sayo part so as to give them more intimacy, hoping to develop the Sayo route. Of course, there is also significantly lesser cringe language, courtesy of me.**

 **So I have decided that this section will be used to explain the chapters, how I placed my ideas and generally what is covered in the chapters. This will become relevant later on, as more things will start to happen. I experimented that change of perspective, as you can see in the last part of this chapter, which I changed it from first person to third person. Hopefully you guys would not be too confused about this.**

 **I may be adding some OCs in this story, just so there are ways for me to keep the chapters going. If you guys want a happy ending to this story, well…. I'm working on that. When I first wrote this story I didn't intend for this story to have happy endings. Maybe it's just me, but I always disliked most of happy endings of stories I have read. I rather have a cliffhanger than a happy ending. Maybe it's just me.**

 **Well, I am still rewriting the next few chapters while writing chapter 17. One thing I will say is that I will be adding and taking away or changing certain parts of this story. I apologize to all my readers who had read the previous version of the story for the trouble that it may cause.**

 **Also, please review on this story. It can be about anything. It can be how bad this story is, or how was your day. Heck, it can even be about something interesting about your day. I am always willing to read them. With that, please look forward to the next few chapters.**

 **Thank you and have a good day!**


	3. Chapter 3: Shackles of Guilt II

**Hi Guys!**

 **I kinda forgot to say this so I will say it now. I do not own Akame Ga Kill! . If I did I would have either change it to a better series where the main character doesn't die or one where the main character dies with much more impact.**

 **So one of my friends volunteered to help out with ideas and he gave me the idea of killing off the childhood friends at the hands of Esdeath and not Aria. Although this sounds interesting, it is kinda hard to put it into the current plot so I will just put this in mind while I am writing this story.**

 **Also for people who are interested and hoping to have the pairing of Tatsumi X Esdeath, I regret to say that there is a low chance of this happening as I don't think Tatsumi would ever join the Jaegers or Esdeath going against the Empire. However, this is not set in stone so we shall see how everything progresses on the story. Also, there would be no yuri or yaoi in this fan fiction as I am not a big fan of that. I may add characters who are but the main characters would not be. Sorry if I crushed the hopes of the fans out there.**

 **Also, with the release of the next chapter comes the divergence point. This is where it deviates from the actual plot.**

 **With that said, Thanks for reading and enjoy this chapter!**

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 _Volume 1: Chapter 3: Shackles of Guilt II_

Ieyasu and Sayo walked towards the massive gates of the Capital. In the distance, they could already see the palace in all of its glory. Even if it seemed far away, the pair could see that the palace could have touched the clouds. Now that they were nearer to the gates of the Capital, it didn't seem like it was an exaggeration.

"DAMN! I did not expect the Capital to look like this. It exceeded my expectations of what it actually looked like." exclaimed an excited Ieyasu.

"I thought you said that the streets were paved in gold?"

"Well, I didn't get the part about the houses wrong, did I?"

"So what now? Do we wait for Tatsumi or do we head straight to the recruitment office?" Sayo said, trying to change the topic before they start a pointless argument which would be a waste of time.

"I think we should wait. Who knows when he is going to arrive. He might even need our help." Ieyasu said.

"I guess you're right."

"Well, let's go get something to eat then." Ieyasu exclaimed as he lead the way to a nearby restaurant.

 **...**

Darkness surrounded me. As far as I could see, there was nothing in sight.

"Where am I?"

There was no response, which is expected.

The landscape slowly changed. Colors started to pour into my mind, dispelling the darkness which once clouded my vision. I found myself staring at someone who was crying. He was on his knees crying into his hands. In front of him lay two corpses. A shroud was placed over them, which made recognizing them harder for me. Based on their body structure, I could tell that one was a guy while the other was a girl.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The boy just kept crying like as if he didn't hear me.

"Look, it's no use crying anymore. They are dead. The least you can do for them is to get over their death. I'm sure they don't want you to cry over them forever, right?"

There was still no response from the boy.

I eventually ran out of patience. Walking over to the boy, I lifted him up by his collar. Just as I was about to give him a scolding, I stopped. Words can no longer come out of my mouth. I was staring at a child with brown hair and green eyes.

In front of me, grabbed by the collar, was…..me. A younger version of myself. His hands were covered in blood, and since he was crying into his hands, there was now blood on his face.

Everything turned black and the nothingness from before took over before I was able to comprehend what was going on.

 **…**

"Ieyasu, are you sure this is a good idea?" questioned a black haired girl.

"Why would you say that?"

Sayo and Ieyasu continued staying in their current position. They are now camping in front of the Capital's gates, waiting for Tatsumi.

"Besides, our goal is the Capital so Tatsumi would eventually head this way. To come into the Capital, you would have to pass through these gates. Whenever he arrives, we would know." Ieyasu said, crushing any argument that Sayo was gonna come up with.

"Ummmm, do you guys need somewhere to stay?" someone asked. Two pair of eyes darted to the source of the sound. Their eyes land on a blonde girl. Her hair ends at her shoulders and she had blue eyes. She wore a long sleeve white shirt with a blue bow tied at the collar under a blue dress. One look at her best outfit would allow you to know that she is one of those wealthy nobles. Behind her, stood a carriage with two guards stationed at it's door.

"Yeah, we would love to take up your offer. However, we have to stay here. We are waiting for our friend who was separated on our journey. " Ieyasu said to the girl.

"That's okay. I'll just get someone I know to watch over the gates. Say, how does he look like?" the blonde girl questioned.

"Around my height, has brown hair with green eyes." Ieyasu exclaimed, happy that someone is willing to be able to help them.

"So in the meantime, why not come over to my place. My men would bring your friend to you the moment he sees him." the yellow haired girl said.

"Sure, but we are unable to pay for rent so I thin- " Sayo said, trying to decline her offer but was interrupted.

"That's okay. I didn't want anything in return when I when I offered you a place to stay."

"If that's the case, then we would gladly accept your offer." Ieyasu replied to her, earning a glare from Sayo when the yellow haired girl turned her back to them.

Ieyasu and Sayo stood up to follow.

"What are you doing, we can't just go to someone's place just because she seems nice. " Sayo whispered to the brown haired boy.

"Why are you so paranoid. She is just a kind soul offering a place to stay."

"I hope so. Though something about that girl gives me bad feelings and it's making me on the edge. I don't know how to explain it, call it intuition. Just be careful when we are at her place."

"Yeah, okay. I'll do that." Ieyasu said as they proceed to the carriage.

 **...**

From the distance, a pair of blue eyes followed them as the pair walked towards the carriage.

They have fallen for such an obvious trap. They must have had an easy life. Whatever. They mentioned a friend who was with them. Brown hair, green eyes. Maybe I should wait for him before making such a daring move. With their friend's unknowing help, I may be able to pull it off. Such a good opportunity presented itself. I must seize it before it never comes again.

 **…**

I continued to drift within that world of nothingness.

Then, I heard voices.

It was just a normal conversation that people would talk about to each other. Nothing inside within their words caught my attention.

Without warning, I was pulled by something. The world of nothingness slowly faded away and I opened my eyes. My eyes darted around to my surroundings, hoping to know where I am. It looks like I was inside of a small wooden house of some sort. It was filled with boxes. Surveying my surrounding with greater scrutiny, I found myself inside a caravan. Boxes are stacked up and placed at the side of the caravan. There was a opening at the front and back of the caravan, and I can see two people seated at the front of the caravan.

It wasn't long before their casual conversation turned into shouts

"EARTH DRAGON? WHAT'S A DANGER BEAST LIKE THAT DOING HERE?"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER NOW! JUST TRY TO SURVIVE AT THE VERY LEAST!"

Knowing that someone is in danger, I pushed myself off of the floor which I was lying on and grabbing my blade, I rushed out of the caravan through the front. I ran past the middle of the two people I saw seated at the front of the caravan.

Earth Dragon. A dragonkind who excels in tunnelling. It looked more like an oversized insect thank a lizard. It also has very exceptional defense, such as its skin. However, all living things has a common weakness. Since our mentor did teach us the anatomy of various Danger Beast, I was able to locate where each important organ are within its body. Unsheathing my sword, i continued running towards the creature. The Earth Dragon slammed its talons down on me. Well, it would have, if I didn't jump out of the way at the last moment. Picking myself up, I jumped onto its hand and continued running upwards. The Danger Beast, now angered, attempted to shake me off. It swing its hand, hoping that I would fall off its hand. However, I have already reached where I wanted to. Jumping off its hand, I moved the blade hand into reverse grip. Falling towards its head, i readied myself and once I deemed it close enough, I stabbed it in between the eyes, straight into the brain. I pulled out the blade and jumped off the creature's head. It didn't move for a few seconds, before it fell to the side. I walked towards it and proceed to slice off its head. The brain, the organ of every living things that functions as the coordinating centre of our senses and intellect and movement. Should a creature have its brain destroyed, it will eventually die no matter what kind of body it has. The Earth Dragon happens to have its brain located within its head. Wiping the blood off of my blade before I sheath the blade. Having blood on the blade left uncleaned will cause it to rust even faster than normal.

I look towards the two people who were still seated at the front of the caravan. Judging from the situation where he woke up inside their caravan, I assumed that they were the ones who picked me up when I fainted.

"Wow! Thats some amazing skill you got there, young lad! "

"Yeah, who taught you those moves?"

"I merely trained for a few years with some guidance from my mentor. Nothing special."

"Thanks for saving our lives! We can't thank you enough!" one of the merchant said to him.

"There is no need to thank me. I should be the ones thanking you. Had you not pick me up when I passed out, I could have been killed. Thank you." I bowed, expressing my gratitude.

"Hey, just a question. Are you heading to the Capital? " one of them asked me.

"Yes, how did you know? "Tatsumi asked, curious as to how they know his objective.

The two merchants turned to each other, a sad look in their faces.

"This route is common for travellers or merchants going to the Capital. There were reports of bandits who would ambush anyone who pass those areas, but it mostly happen at random. Though, the people in the Capital are worse than them."

Intrigued by his words, I decided to ask them to elaborate.

They explained that the Capital is not what it seems. Corruption runs rampant and innocent people are always the victims of the evil ambitions of the nobles. All sort of wrongdoings are present within the walls of the Capital and the source of all this, is the Minister. Although there is a king seated on the throne, he is still a child and is manipulated by the Emperor within the shadows. He has lied to the child Emperor about many things. Since the child Emperor is still naive, the Minister can always get away with all of his crimes by simply convincing the Emperor otherwise, luring him away from the truth.

I was skeptical of this piece of information laid before me. Since I have yet to seen what the Capital for what it is, I decided to take every advice and information that came from the mouth of others with a pinch of salt. Thanking the merchants for their help and advice, I gathered my belongs and walked off towards the Capital.

After an hour of walking non-stop, I arrived at the gates of the Capital. Guards were stationed at both sides of the massive gates, stopping travellers for questioning before letting them in. Keeping the words of my mentor and the information the merchants gave close to my heart, I began to walk forwards, towards a future where anything can happen.

* * *

 **If you see this message, it implies that the rewrite for this chapter is completed.**

 **So yea, we see Tatsumi mostly being unconscious in this chapter, while his friend got lured into a trap. Well, that's all.**

 **Thank you for reading and have a good day.**


	4. Chapter 4: Shackles of Guilt III

**Ok. Here is the divergent point.**

 **Once again, I would like to emphasise that I suck at writing fight scenes and stuff. Do bear with me.**

 **So basically, I would be able to publish a few more chapters in the next few days for I have a bit more time on my hands. I have decided what Tatsumi's Imperial Arms would be. I isn't just some rando- , wait, I am not allowed to spoil it. Silly me. In case you are curious what it could be, I would just give a hint. It may or may not be a weapon. Hehe. This hint actually isn't really good, but considering what I have in store, I can only reveal this much.**

 **Also, I do not own Akame Ga Kill! and also thank you to everyone who supported this fan fiction. This would be a very long story so if you don't long story, I strongly recommend you to not read this. I would also begin to write more in my stories as i personally feel my every chapters are too short. Like seriously, 3 chapters to reach the point where Tatsumi arrives at the Capital.**

 **One additional detail. I kinda changed the timeline. Like Night Raid attacked Aria's house on the day Tatsumi arrives in the Capital instead of attacking the household one day later. Sorry, I tried to make it similar but turns out I can't for this part.**

 **Nonetheless, please do enjoy this fan fiction. It isn't much but I would try to make it as interesting as possible.**

 **Thanks!**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 4: Shackles of Guilt III_

It hurts. It hurts. It hurts so much.

Tears started falling uncontrollably. I tried my best to halt its flow from my eyes, but ultimately, it was just a futile attempt. It kept falling with no end. There was no wound on my body, so why am I feeling pain?

Questions flooded my mind.

Why?

Why is it always me?

Why is it that this always have to happen to me?

Why is it that everyone that I care about always die?

 **...**

I walked in through the gates of the Capital. As far as my eyes could see, there were people. Tons of people. It was really an eye-opener, how the entire population living in Capital is easily almost like hundred times the population of people living in my village. Some were in rags, while others were in fancy dresses and smart attires. It seems that there is an evident income gap within the population. I can't help but be in awe. It appears that Ieyasu's descriptions of the Capital were not exaggerations. I kept walking, all the while my eyes darted to whatever that catches my eyes.

It didn't take me long before I realise that I have been on the receiving end of stares. People were looking towards me. I decided to dismiss it as their curiosity. My eyes continue glancing around. I found someone at the corner of the street, staring at me. Unlike the stares of the other, his stare was unnerving. It was as if he was eyeing his prey. My gaze lingered on him for a while longer. I blinked. The next thing my brain was able to discern was that he had vanished. Still feeling uneasy, I continue walking onwards, not letting my guard down.

As I walk, my brain started working. I start pondering the various possibility of what happened. Why was he staring at me like that? Have I met him before? Could it be that I have something he wants? Am i imagining things? He was staring at me, that is a fact. His intentions are unclear, but he wants something from me. That is the most I can discern. It may cause me some trouble in the future. I think it is best if I be more cautious from now on.

With nothing but questions and no answer, I arrived at my destination. I have yet to see Ieyasu and Sayo since arriving, so I assume they intend to meet me after being recruited. The Military's recruitment house. I pushed open the door, only to be greeted by a long line of people, with what I assume to have the same intentions as me. I signed. This is going to take a while.

 **…**

Finally. After what I assume to be 3 hours, I was now at the front of the long line.

I walked up to one of the desks. Without any questions whatsoever, he passed a form towards me. It seems he has been doing this all day. I picked up that sheet of paper and read whatever was written there. I was given education, courtesy of my parents. It included all subjects. HIstory, Geography, Mathematics, Science, Language etc. Although I was only taught the mere basics. I can still remember everything they have taught me, even till today, even though it was discontinued eight years ago by their deaths. They did have various technique to make me remember, even though some of it wasn't pleasant. I looked at the paper in my hands. I was offered the position of private. Pretty low position. I did inquire if there was any way for me to attain a higher position. The result was some complaints and me being chased out.

That went well. If Sayo was here, she would have been able to handle this more efficiently. I really miss them. I wonder if they are somewhere safe and warm right now. Since this job is no longer available to me, I might as well attain another job. Money don't grow on trees. It has to come from somewhere. I pondered the other job options that I have.

"Hey, you. The brown haired boy in front of me." A voice sounded from behind me.

I turned towards the source of the voice. I was now facing a yellow haired lady. Two long bangs frames the side of her head. She wore a rather revealing outfit. I assumed her profession would be a lady of the night. Though that title doesn't seem to be fitting, considering it was only late afternoon right now.

"Err, I'm sorry, but I'm underage!" I declined her offer. I adopted a small smile, trying my best to not blush at what I had just said.

"What? What are you talking about?" came the reply, all the while her face was blushing. "Anyways, were you rejected from joining the Imperial Army?"

"Somewhat. Apparently asking whether having a higher starting position results in a ban from entering this profession."

"Tell you what. I can help you get into the Imperial Army, or a small payment."

"Really?" I pretended to sound excited. Someone is offering their help, even if it sounds too good to be true. This just screams fishy. If something can be attained so simply, then everyone in this world would be able to get what they want. That's the first lesson our mentor taught to me when he was teaching us about combat and how it is just like our lives. Since she is trying to help, I might as well entertain her. Maybe I can be also get some information on the Capital while I'm at it.

Before I knew it, I was at a bar, giving the blonde, who introduces herself to be Leone, a treat.

"Basically, if you want to make it big here, you need two things. Money and connections."

What a corrupt society it is. I sure hope this doesn't happen in every part of the society.

Thinking that I have heard enough and somewhat already guessed her motives, I hand her a small bag of gold.

"Here is some money to help me get into the army. Though I am not going to put too much hope in it. It's okay if it doesn't work. Take the money as a form of thanks."

I was about to stand up and leave, when my eyes land on a certain someone. It was the same person whom I saw staring at me from before. Now that he was up close, I was able to make out some of his features. White hair, pale blue eyes. Noticing me staring at him, he gave me a slight smile before pushing open the door. My eyes were wide open in shock. This couldn't be a coincidence, could it? There is a possibility of him following me throughout the day. Is he calling me out? I ran out of the door, hoping to catch up to him and question him. My mind tells me to find out more, but another part of it tells me to be careful. There is no way to confirm that he could be luring me into a trap, whatever it was for.

"Well, something cropped up so I may have to leave. I'll see you around. I would check the office tomorrow to see if it worked. Bye!" Giving an excuse, I left.

Bursting out of the door of the bar, I looked everywhere, hoping to find that guy. I need to find that man. The sun looks like it's about to set soon. If I wants to call someone out, I would choose somewhere with less people. This allows the person who I am calling out to be able to see me easily. I looked around. He was nowhere to be seen.

The road on the left seems to have fewer people as compared to the road on the right. Clinging onto this reasoning, I ran towards the left road. I kept running, looking into each alleyway as I pass by. I was still unsuccessful in finding that man.

I need a more efficient way of finding that man.

I jumped onto the nearest roof and searched. There were still no signs of the man.

"Were you perhaps looking for me?"

Someone spoke. It appears that he was behind me. How? I didn't even notice his presence. When did he take my back?

On instinct, I reached for my blade as I turned around, only to notice that it was no longer there. I looked up at the person. It was him. His hair partially covered one of his eyes and his fringe ends at the eyebrows covering his entire forehead. He wore a white long sleeved coat with blue lines on the edges of the coat, which matches his facial features. My short sword was in his hands. I didn't even realise he took my weapon until I need it.

"Why were you staring at me back then?"

I asked him bluntly. This guy is dangerous. Being able to take my back and my weapon without me realising it. He could have killed me anytime he wanted to and I wouldn't even realise it. He also knew that I would come finding him. He correctly predicted my actions, and even took the trouble of making contact with me.

"Pardon?"

"Don't play dumb, I saw you looking at me. I don't think it's a coincidence that I saw you again at the bar."

"What makes you so sure of what you claim?"

"I don't have concrete proof, only assumptions. The fact we are having this meeting right now, could mean that you were able to predict my actions correctly. If all the encounters were coincidences, we would not be having this meeting right now. You knew what I was going to you and you deliberately hid yourself from me."

I labeled it as an assumption, since it was based on my speculations. It was really risky, but it is good enough to get him to confess, probably. Maybe I can also ascertain his intentions.

"And should what you say be correct, what's there to prevent me from killing you?"

"You possess extraordinary skills. You could have killed me anytime. You could have killed me when you took my back just now. I won't ask again. What do you want?"

There was a moment of tensed silence. Eventually, he started speaking once again.

"Sheesh, you are smart. I give you that. All I wanted was simply your help with something. In exchange, I will give you the location of your friends."

He lifted his right hand, and made some hand gesture while he was speaking. Maybe it was his attempt to dispel the tensed atmosphere while making himself seem friendly? That wasn't what caught my attention though. There was a scar on his right hand. On the back of his hand, was a scar, fashioned like a cross. If I wasn't mistaken, my mentor did mention he had a friend we could ask for help from if we require it. If my memory serves me well, his name was…..Hikari?

"Just a question though, but can I ask whether your name is Hikari?"

There was a look of surprise on his face. It was expected. Someone who you don't know knows your name. You would be surprised at the very least.

"Yes…..and where did you get that name from?" The last part was spoke with traces of killing intent. I found myself momentarily unable to breathe, before I recovered.

"There was a retired soldier in my village who told us that we can approach the person with that name should we find ourselves in trouble. If I wasn't wrong his name is Shinya."

The killing intent coming from him disappeared instantly, just like how it appeared.

"I see. So it's that old geezer. Well, he has been causing me a lot of trouble. Looks like he never changed. Kid, what is your name?"

"Tatsumi."

"Alright Tatsumi. This may come as a shock to you, but your friends are actually kidnapped. Their lives are in danger as we speak. I can't prove my words to you. If you trust me, I can bring you to where they are. You don't even have to pay me."

" My friends are kidnapped? What, if you know this piece of information, doesn't that mean that you watch them get kidnapped?"

"Yeah, I did. What are you gonna do about it? Kill me?"

"No. I'm already thankful that you told me this information. If you hadn't, I would not have known of their plight. I need to save them. Please, can you lead me to where they are right now?"

"Sure, follow me."

 **...**

" So, this is where they are?" I asked Hikari. I received a nod of affirmation.

" This property belonged to the Harvard household. Their family has done much research on medicine, which were always very effective. They even had a company that specialises on the research and production of medicine. It is actually thanks to them that most illnesses out there can be cured."

"So, why are my friends kidnapped by them?"

"I think you should know why. Where do you think they test new medicine on before releasing it?"

I was shocked. My friends were kidnapped just to be test subjects. Guinea pigs.

I was going to run forwards, towards the guards and slaughter everyone inside of the house, but someone stopped me.

"Calm down. You need a plan. Not everyone here is responsible. Some might just be caught up in their evil doings. They are merely earning a living for their families."

"Then what should I do?" I asked him. Anger is now evident within my tone.

"Sneak in. Find the culprits. Deliver justice. Or something along those lines."

"That doesn't sound like a reliable plan. I just go find where my friends are."

We sneaked past the two guards and headed inside. Hikari has now changed into a long sleeved black coat with bright purple on the edges. He was equipped with a blade and a variety of other tools.

With my blade in hand, I moved down the maze within the mansion. I have made sure to cat my blade with poison that my mentor made or me. Eventually, our paths split. Hikari, claiming that he need to check something out, decided to go somewhere else within the mansion.

I don't mind working by myself. I feel that working alone helps to improve efficiency in battle. This never worked out whenever Sayo and Ieyasu were around.I moved through the halls, avoiding the guards on duty. I put extra effort to ensure my footsteps weren't heard. Eventually, I found two guards talking. One of them was talking about how he tortured someone back in his days in the military, while the other was listening attentively. Thought I could see that he had traces of disgust on his face. As silently as possible, I went behind them and knocked the first guard out. I moved my blade to the second guard. With the blade placed on his throat, I began questioning him on the location of my friends. I took some time, but eventually I was able obtain the information I need. Knocking him out, I moved the two guards into an empty room nearby started running, towards the back door in the mansion. It appears Sayo and Ieyasu was kept in the warehouse outside the mansion.

All of the memories I spent with the two of them started pouring into my mind. Every time Ieyasu and I got into trouble. Every time we were chided my Sayo for doing stupid pranks on her. Even the times we went adventuring in the forest on the outskirts of the village. There was memories we spent with our mentor, sleeping over at his place on many occasion, staying up late and telling us stories. If I remembered correctly, Sayo can't handle scary stories. Ieyasu liked stories where the hero saves the princess. I remembered about the memories of the past we had, the promises we made in the present, and the fantasies we made of the future. All of it was going to disappear if I don't save them.

I kept running. Not stopping for anything. Eventually, I reached the back door of the mansion. I opened and ran towards the warehouse. There were some screams coming from the mansion, but I just ignore it. For now, all that matters are my friend's safety.

Opening the door of the warehouse, something foul hit my nose. I pinched my nose. It took quite a while or me to ignore the scent in the air. Using the moonlight that shone through the door, I took a careful look around. My body froze. Everywhere, there were bodies of people. Some were clinging desperately to life, while others were already dead. I ignored all of them. My goal is to find my friends, though it seems like they would not be in a good condition looking at the state of most of the occupants. There was someone hanging before me on cuffs. Her body showed signs of torture. There was something in her hair. Something that I recognised, even though it was partially covered by hair. On her head, was a white flower hair pin.

Sayo.

I sliced at her cuffs, which broke on my first try. Her body slumped to the ground. I laid her on the ground. I stared at her. Her eyes are closed, and she isn't breathing. Maybe she is. I wasn't sure, since my body is shaking right now. I wonder if it was in fear or in anger.

"Tatsumi? Is that you?"

Someone called out to me. I turned towards the source. I found Ieyasu, inside of a cage. There are visible black patches on his body. I went forwards and cut open the cage. I dragged Ieyasu out of the cage. He was breathing heavily, greedily taking in as much oxygen as he can. He doesn't look like as if he is going to survive.

"Sorry, man. Having to make you go through this again. I know how you suffered when your parents died. Actually, Sayo was always looking out for you. She did everything she can to act like a mother to you. She wanted the best for you. I ain't surprised if she said that she fell in love with you. I tried my best to not get ourselves into trouble and also did things to get you to keep your mind away from the death of your parents. Looks like it didn't work." Ieyasu said, occasionally coughing.

"I knew. You guys were never good at hiding your intentions. I figured out what you guys are doing pretty much the moment you approached me. Though, I am still thankful to you guys, for caring about me.

"Hey, bro. Is it okay for me to ask for a favor?"

"Sure."

"Please kill the person responsible. The entire household here did this to all the people in this place. If possible, please kill them. Get revenge for us."

"Of course. That's what i intend to do."

"Also, please get over our deaths."

With that said. He slowly lifted his hand. He made a grabbing motion, before losing all of his strength. He hands fell onto his chest. His breathing slowed and eventually it stopped. He had passed on. All this time, a small smile was etched onto his face.

"Oi, Ieyasu. Don't sleep on the floor, at least sleep somewhere that isn't the floor. Sayo, you too. Aren't you supposed to keep us in order? So why are you joining him." I feel calm. I wanted to cry, but no tears come out.

I thought back to when the village elder introduced me to them.

" _This is Ieyasu. Please get along with him, Tatsumi."_

 _I stared at the young boy before me. He was about my age._

" _I don't like him." That was my first response regarding him._

My parents died when I was eight. Ever since then, I shut myself in my house. Sometimes I would cry for hours, sometimes I would stone, staring at a spot in the house. Other times i would reminisce the times I shared with my parents. I only leave my house to hunt for food, to receive training from my mentor or just simply to bathe. Since I seldom spoke, most of the children in the village would avoid me. I think I lost my emotions during that period of time. Food was only consumed to gain energy, not because it was delicious or because I liked it.

The village elder would occasionally come over to check up on how I was doing. Obviously, due to my daily routine, the village elder became increasingly worried and decided to help me. One month after my parent's death, I was introduced to Ieyasu. Maybe it's because of his personality, we were always at odds. We fought often. Before I realised, I was showing more and more emotion. We went on adventures, getting ourselves in trouble many times. It wasn't long before we got out of control.

" _This young lady before you is Sayo. Please take good care of her."_

We were introduced to Sayo three weeks after I met Ieyasu. The village elders, hoping to keep us in check, introduced a girl to the two of us, in hopes of her being able to keep us in check. I was initially wondering how she was to do so, but eventually all of this doubt was thrown out of the window. Sayo was initially shy around us, but gradually opened up. Soon, she got used to Ieyasu's antics and my silent nature. That was how we met.

I looked at their dead bodies. I will come back to collect their bodies to bury them, after I have exacted my revenge. Maybe torture them even. I feel nothing, for now.

I noticed how their belongings were placed on a table within the warehouse. Picking up their weapons, and anything that once belonged to them which seemed useful, I exited the warehouse. The cool night breeze provided no comfort. I looked around. There are two figures in the distance. One of them was a guard while the other was a yellow haired girl. Thinking back to what Ieyasu had said, I assumed that Ieyasu's torturer would be the girl. I raised Sayo's crossbow, inserted an arrow on it and fired at the guard. The guard, which was preoccupied with whatever was behind him, did not see the arrow heading towards him.

The arrow found its way into the man's shoulder, rendering his right hand useless. He turned around and saw me. He lifted the rifle slung around his neck with his other hand and fired at me. I didn't even bother to move. All of his shots landed everywhere but me. Clearly he is not good with his left hand.

Keeping the crossbow away, I ran towards him with Ieyasu's axe in my right hand and my sword in my left, zigzagging to prevent being shot. Once I was close enough, I threw the axe at him. It landed into his skull, and he fell forwards, embracing the earth. I went towards him and with my legs on his head, I pulled the axe out of his skull. Blood dripped down from the axe. The blonde girl with the guard fell to her knees, shocked. I looked at her with my expressionless eyes. I lifted the axe over my head, preparing to deliver the strike.

Something landed behind me. I turned around. The first thing I noticed was the color red. Blood red.

* * *

 **If you see this message, it means that I finished the rewrite of this chapter.**

 **I'm so tired. Is rewrite suppose to this tiring? Whatever. I will need some redbull with coffee later to make me more energised.**

 **Thank you and have a good day.**


	5. Chapter 5: Shackles of Guilt IV

**So I will be having my exams next week so I will try to write another one more chapter other than this one. I won't be writing until next week so please understand.**

 **Well, without further ado, let's start the next chapter.**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 5: Shackles of Guilt IV_

Red. Blood Red.

That was the first thing I noticed when I turned around.

Black hair and red eyes. In that instant, I felt as if death had just found me. Fear gripped me by the throat, suffocating me. I was unable to breathe for a moment, but went back to normal when I gathered myself. I had seen her on wanted posters that were found throughout the Capital. She was described as dangerous, possessing experience from her days working as an Imperial Assassin, before she defected to the Revolutionary Army. The posters also stated that she is currently part of an assassin group that was causing trouble in the Capital.

Akame of Night Raid.

So eventually, the more immediate question popped into my mind. Why is Akame here? What does she want. I need to confirm her motives. She is acting very hostile towards. An air of killing intent surrounds her slim figure. Even with all the training and experience, I was unable to stop myself from slightly trembling. I want to exact my revenge as soon as possible, but I can't just do so when there is a third party with unknown intentions hanging around.

"Please, spare me. I didn't anything wrong." the blonde girl cried, hoping to garner sympathy from the two of us. If i wasn't well-informed of the situation, I would have fallen for her trickery.

Neither of us gave any reply to heed her pleas.

"Please, sav-"

"Shut up. You're annoying me." I said. My bangs covered my eyes. How dare she begs for sympathy after what she did to my friends. Had she shown sympathy to them, when they were slowly dying due to her whims?

The blonde girl had now stopped her pleadings. She was trembling. Perhaps she was scared, knowing that she is lurking just outside of Death's door. With Ieyasu's axe still in my right hand, and I turned towards the blonde girl before me. Of course, I ensured that Akame was still within my sights. I can't have her kill me when I wasn't looking. I lifted the axe once again and without hesitation of any kind, I brought it down. The axe sliced clean through her skull, and her head fell apart into two halves, with having her fearful expression still etched onto it. Blood spurted out from the cut and eventually, all of her head was painted red. Since I have finished my business, I headed towards the warehouse, hoping to collect the bodies of my friends. I could already feel emotions beginning to flood into me. I stared at Akame from the corners of my eyes. I am no longer facing her, meaning that she can kill me at this moment if she want to. She didn't make any move to kill me, and eventually her intense atmosphere was dispelled, before she ran off into the forest.

I picked up the corpses of my friends and put them over my shoulders. I grabbed a torch hanging on a wall and proceeded to set the warehouse on fire. With my two friends over my shoulders, I walked out of the door.

Hikari walked out of the backdoor and came towards me.

"Are you don- " he stopped when he saw the two bodies I was carrying. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Is there somewhere I can bury them?

"There is a clearing outside of the Capital. If you like, I can show you the way."

"Yeah, thanks."

 **...**

We arrived at the clearing. I had dug out their respective graves and buried the two of them. Even after this procedure was done, I didn't leave. I sat in front of their graves, staring at their gravestones, which were just two rocks placed at the front of their grave.

"I'll be over by those trees if you need me." Hikari said as he walked off.

Memories, emotions loneliness starts to flood into my mind. My friends are dead. They aren't coming back. I'm alone, once again. Memories started to flood into me. Tears started to fall. The floodgates opened. I cried.

" _You don't like me? Then I don't like you either! Hmph!"_

I could hear something within me break. Tears kept falling with no end. It was painful. There was no wound, yet it hurts so much. It hurts.

" _Seriously. Ieyasu, you need to stop getting us into trouble. Every time you do this, Tatsumi and I will become involved."_

It hurts. It hurt…..so much.

This was just like what I felt when they died. Eight years ago, they died leaving me all alone in this world. It was the same as last time. Questions popped into my head.

Why?

Why is it always me?

Why is it that this always have to happen to me?

Why is it that everyone that I care about always die?

The pain did not subside, but I could feel myself slowly getting used to it. I have to make sure things like this will never happen again. The pain is really unbearable.

 **...**

I arrive back our base. It is situated in a cliff, literally and for some odd reason, was never found by the Imperial Army. Upon opening the door, we were greeted by our leader, Najenda. She was once a general in the Empire, but defected. She sat at her usual spot at the dining table.

"Welcome back!" she said upon laying her eyes on us.

"Mission accomplished I guess? Good job guys. Rest up. We have more missions tomorrow that require your attention. Although you guys took longer than usual to finish this mission today. Did something happen?"

"Nope. Just more guards than what we expected." Leone remarked.

Their missions come from people all over the Capital. The money that we receive as payment goes to the Revolutionary Army as funding to prepare for the day of the revolution. These people who seeks our help mostly come from victims of the Capital's evil.

After giving our mission report, everyone but me headed back to their respective rooms to rest. I walked into the kitchen.

I head to the kitchen to make myself some food. I had not mention about the boy that I found in the mansion to anyone. Somehow I feel I should have, but I didn't. He really is a mystery. His eyes lacked any colour in them, his face displayed no emotion and he killed as if it was a common thing for him. Not even experienced assassins can kill like him. This makes him very dangerous and may become a threat in the future, so why didn't I tell anyone about him? Maybe because I reasoned that he lost someone dear to them? Whatever the cause, I hope I don't have to face him in battle.

Something burnt reached my nose. I looked down at the meat in the frying pan.

What a waste, it's burnt.

 **...**

I opened his eyes to greet the morning light that shine through my window. I can still remember the events of last night. Storming the noble's house, finding information on Imperial Arms and theories of a cure for a new disease that appeared, encountering and evading Night Raid and Tatsumi's loss. Looks like things just won't settle down. I was lucky enough our movement was not found out by the Prime Minister or Revolutionary spies. Although I wouldn't care if they found out. As long as our objective is reached, everything else is unnecessary.

I could kind of understand how Tatsumi felt. How the people you care about could very well be dead in an instant. Something like this did happen to me before, I think.

Better go check on Tatsumi.

 **...**

Something called out to me in my mind.

"Tatsumi" "Tatsumi"

It is not just one voice, but multiple voices.

Two people came into my view. Sayo and Ieyasu.

I have no idea what is going on, but the last thing I want is to see my friends. It will just remind me that they are dead.

The only thing I want to do is to forget. Forget they died. I had similar thoughts back then when my parents died. I wanted to believe that they will return if I kept on waiting. I guess I'm abnormal. I knew that all good things would eventually come to an end. I knew, and yet I was still unable get over the loss of my parents and my friends.

They died before me. I witnessed them dying before me. I watched helplessly as they died. They must have been wishing for me to save them, but I didn't, I couldn't. All kind of thought have been circling me in my mind. Some were comforting me, while others were blaming me. Eventually, the former was drowned out by the latter. Questions began to surface.

How do I move on from now on. Where should I go? Why am I still alive. For what reason do I live.

Maybe it was my thoughts, but those questions spoke like voices of the crowds. I can only make out these questions from the plethora of voices in my head.

Even if I am talking to myself in my mind, the questions that were raised are still relevant. My friends are dead. They had guided me to the Capital and to do what they must do here. I always went along with their choices. I never liked to make choices since I can become quite indecisive.

Now that they are dead, what should I do.

I feel myself being pulled, and I was once again hoisted into reality.

Light poured into my eyes, blinding me momentarily. Adjusting to the light, I pushed myself up from the bed that I was lying on. I looked around the room that I am in. I did not recognize the surroundings. Someone was in view as I was glanced around the room. Hikari stood at the door.

"Yo. How are you feeling now?"

"Better, I think."

I need to figure what to do next. I can't linger on their death forever and need to find a new direction and goal in my life.

I listed all of the possible choices. Going back to the village would be out of the question. There are too much memories there. I also need to make money fast and send it to my village so they can tide over another year. Working as Imperial Guard earns a lot of money. However, to even be selected to be an Imperial Guards means you are exceptionally skilled.

"Maybe you can join us." Hikari said, interrupting my train of thoughts.

"Us?"

"Yes, us. We basically help the people of the Empire. Most of the people in our group are stationed throughout the Empire in various cities. Unlike the Revolutionary Army, we don't make ourselves known and we won't bet all of our chances to save everyone on a war which brings more deaths. Most of our actions are performed to help the civilians in the Capital. Of course, the infiltration of the mansion yesterday was one of the example. I was asked to look for a possible cure which could be used to cure a new disease that has spread throughout the Empire. Just like you, there could be many other potential victims of cruel acts done by the nobles of the Capital. The main culprit is the Prime Minister, Honest. He manipulated the Emperor, who was only a child and recently crowned. This began a string of event and allowed nobles to do these acts without any fear of being caught. Corruption, bribery, favouritism, slavery are all common in the Empire. There were rebels who stood up against them. The Revolutionary Army. It's base is located in the South of the Empire and they are openly opposing the Empire." Hikari said, hoping to convince me.

The Revolutionary Army. A large group of rebels who defected from the Empire. They were known throughout the Empire and were told to be killers who kill for personal satisfaction, though that was what the Emperor claimed.

"Would you kill me if I say no?"

"Depends on your reason."

"I want to join so as to prevent more people from being harmed. However, another part of me just wants to live a normal life and escape from all these violence. So, I would reject your offer."

"I see. Well, if you ever change your mind you can always approach us. Also, you can stay in my house as long as you like, just don't make too much of a mess. And if you ever reveal our existence, you will die." The last few words were laced with bloodlust. So much that I visibly shuddered.

Left alone, I continued pondering from where I left off.

Getting a job. Maybe he can work as a blacksmith or something.

* * *

 **If you see this message, it means that the rewrite for this chapter is completed.**

 **Yea, I know what you're thinking. Why is Tatsumi in this story such a wimp? I know many would be unsatisfied with how I portrayed Tatsumi in this story. All I will say is that, ultimately he is human. Sure, we always wanted to be heroes, but when our loved ones die, we would still be depressed and be in denial. We aren't heroes in the Epics, who are invincible in combat. We are humans, who survive using our wits. We are fragile creatures, and adapt over the years to fit whatever tough challenges that comes our way. This is the same for Tatsumi. He lost his parents when he was young and naturally his upbringing is different from others. He was forced to be dependent on himself and no one else for a period of time. Even though he may seem like an adult, he is still just a kid. Dealing with the loss of loved ones will never sit well with anyone, especially a kid.**

 **Well, I have explained enough. Please review. I really enjoy reading reviews sent by you guys.**

 **Thank you and have a good day.**


	6. Chapter 6: Armor of Black I

**So, I will be having exams next week so I would try to work on the chapters from next week on. I have decided on the Imperial Arms that Tatsumi would be having. He will be getting it by the next few chapters.**

 **It look like it is the perfect time to ask the question of what pairing would be inside this story.**

 **From my angle, there is a high chance that AkameXTatsumi would come true. Then, again, I have not introduce Esdeath in so it is still unconfirmed.**

 **Well, the pairing would have to be kept in view as I proceed.**

 **With that out of the way, let's begin the story.**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 6: Armor of Black I_

Walking down the streets of the Capital, I pondered whether I was making the right choice. I had checked back at the recruitment centre to see if my application through the use of money was successful. The job request was not even put up. Figures. It turns out that girl called Leone was a swindler. Well, it was already fishy when she offered to help me get a job.

I let out a long sign. I could work as a mercenary or adventurer, but looking at the state of things in the Capital, it may not work out. I had done some scouting in the Capital and found out that the Capital is worse than what I had initially thought. Corruption, bribery, extortion. These are only some of the things the Capital is famous for. It appears what the merchants that I had met on my way to the Capital was telling the truth. I was skeptical of their information given how they were still willing to do business in the Capital even though they had known that such acts were performed in the Capital. However, the Capital is the centre of trade throughout the Empire and and doing business in the Capital is much profitable than other places, merchants can only suffer in silence as their goods are being heavily underpriced. I did think of fighting against the evil in the Capital, but changed my idea when I realise the situation that I face. I am the only one alive that was sent from the village. It means that I am the only lifeline the village has left. I had to make money to help the village tide through another year. Doing anything risky would result in me being captured and the village would be doomed. It is best to stay clear of trouble.

I would have find some odd jobs for the time being, but it may not last long. I need a stable job that earns a decent amount if I were to ensure the village's survival.

Trapped in my thoughts, I walked towards the outskirts of the Capital. Even if I wasn't going to fight anyone, I still require training to ensure my skills in combat would not fade away due to inactivity. I can't let a single day go to waste.

 **...**

I watched the Capital come to life on one of the rooftops of the buildings in the Capital. People were moving about, doing their everyday activities. To be honest, I couldn't care less. In such a cruel and unforgiving world, everyone would only tend to their own needs and would not care about the people in need of help. Refusing to offer help for the fear of their lives. Selfish. Then again, the environment of the Capital promotes such behaviour. The only one to blame is the one who sits on his throne in the shadows. He made it so that only the strong would survive in the Capital. The ones who can't make it or had no chance to make it would eventually be killed off.

Focusing on my target, I stared intently. A young boy walked down the streets, emotionless. I could tell that something was off about him. Ever since the death of his friends, I have never seen his genuine emotions. Maybe even before the death of his friends, when I met him on the rooftop. He seemed like as if he had something on his mind that constantly troubled him. He makes a great assassin, being able to cast away his emotions and listen to reason instead of his gut feeling. I wonder if he had something happen to him in the past that caused him to become the way he is today. He even rejected my offer to join and help us, though I didn't tell everyone the full truth of our group. No one should have rejected an offer like that after what had happened. Didn't his friends die? Shouldn't he be actively hoping to seek revenge? Don't they mean anything to him?

Something about Tatsumi scares me, and it isn't just how well he fights.

 **...**

Finishing my usual training, I laid myself on the ground, and stared up at the sky.

I had always wondered how would life be like if I could spend everyday of my life just staring at the skies. Living a peaceful life where nothing would bother and trouble me.

Would I truly be happy everyday?

Would I be happy with this kind of life?

Even though this is mere delusions born from my desire, I knew that it is impossible. I would never be able to obtain such a lifestyle. Life would provide its fair share of troubles for everyone and no one can escape it. The only thing we can do is to face them and adapt.

For now, this dream of mine would serve as a goal that I would work towards to. It doesn't mean that daydreams are useless. Their value are defined by the person who created them.

Getting up from the spot I was lying in, I begin to walk to where my friends were buried. I had always wanted to know how life would be like after death. However, other than the assumptions that religion gave, there is no solid evidence how it would be like. However, I had hope that life after death was just like what religion claimed.

When all is done, I walked back to the Capital. Maybe I can accept requests that the people may have.

Walking into a pub, I sat down at a table and ordered breakfast. It came after a few minutes. While eating the food presented to me, I begin to focus on the chatters of the people around me. One of the conversations caught my attention.

"Did you hear? The supply of iron in the Capital has been cut. Apparently, there have been bandits who kept stealing them from merchants that always cross the mountains to come to the Capital. It was said some soldiers were dispatched to solve the problem last week, but they never returned."

"Bandits? How many times has it been already. Seriously I wonder how the Empire managed to survive for this long."

Finishing my meal, I left some coins at the table I sat before proceeding towards the door. Looks like a request came for him, even though I wasn't asked specifically for it. The conversation must be talking about the mountains towards the East of the Capital. Apparently, bandits run rampant around that area. Time for some investigation.

 **...**

Killing the last bandit within the hideout, I proceeded to search through the area. It was a good hideout. There is only one way into the hideout and it provides good defense against invaders should there be any. The only flaw was how the people in the Hideout would be basically trapped if an army were to encircle the area. Going through each room, I ended up in their storeroom. Inside lies tons of gold, iron and other valuable material. Weapons can be found hanging on a rack. Taking a few good weapons and some gold, I decided to journey back home. I can't survive on doing good deeds and not accept any rewards. At least I can take some of the things they have as reward. A hammer caught my attention in the stack of items. The hammer has a pure black handle and the hammer head is made of grey steel. It looked like the hammer a blacksmith would use during the process. Some words were inscribed on the hammer face but due to the lighting, I am unable to make out what it says.

After tucking the hammer away, I journeyed back to the Capital.

By the time I arrived back at the Capital, it was already evening. Walking along the busy road, I bumped into a burly man that was almost twice my size. He had a scar that went down one of his eye and had a few followers with him by his side.

The burly man was clearly not happy that he had his time interrupted by a scrawny kid. His followers were clearly not pleased.

"Who do you think you are to get in the way of The Captain Ogre." One of the follower yelled, pushing me back.

"The same could be said to you folks."

"Pull him into the alleyway and teach him a lesson." the man who was referred to as Ogre said.

His four followers pulled me into a nearby alleyway.

"What's this, four people trying to beat up one kid? You guys clearly are not skilled if you need this many people to handle one kid." I taunted, hoping to agitate them. An agitated person is incapable of making sound decisions when the situation calls for it.

"Big talk for a small kid." One of them raised his fist and sent it flying towards me.

Time seemed to slow down for me as the fist slowly inched its way towards my face, giving me ample time to dodge. Tilting my head to the side, the man ended up punching the wall.

The man, who wasn't expecting me to be able dodge his punch, tried to punch me again, only to produce the same result. I was already bored, and proceeded to punch the man in the stomach, specifically the solar plexus, causing him to gasp for air. His face twisted in pain as he clutched bent over to clutch his stomach.

The others came towards me with their fists raised, trying to use numbers to their advantage. It was futile as I merely evaded all of their attacks. Growing restless, the remaining three draw their weapons. They hacked and slashed, but I merely moved away from their swing. I unsheathed my blade and parried a slash that came towards my stomach. The man was pushed backed, revealing an opening. Another slash came towards me, which I evaded. Once I found myself in a favourable position, I slashed at his wrist, causing him to drop his weapon. Another slash came, this time from above. I ran forwards and stabbed my blade through the person's chest. The downward slash lost its power half-way and the sword fell to the ground. Not taking an chances, I removed the blade from his chest, letting him bleed to death. One down.

"Don't move. I have a gun." One of them shouted. I would have stopped, if his face wasn't displaying fear. I ran in a zig-zag towards him and plunged my sword into his heart. I pushed him away, removing the sword that was lodged in his body. Two down. The two left wasn't in good shape. One can't hold a blade while the other was still trying to breathe.

I swiftly killed the two and left the alleyway. I have to kill Captain Ogre. I would become the prime suspect if he hears that two of his subordinates turned up dead. I have to eliminate him should I want to retain the life that I have.

Heading back to where I had encountered him, I waited on the rooftops. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, he finally appeared. I leapt down into alleyway and began shadowing Ogre. Ogre would eventually pick up the fact that he was followed. Ogre went from one street to another before turning into an alleyway. I continued to shadow him. Ogre suddenly stopped.

"I know you are there. You have been following me for quite a while now."

Knowing that the game is up, I reached into my pouch and pulled out a throwing knife. I threw it towards him, aiming at his head. He pulled out his sword and used it to block the knife.

"As expected of the captain of the Imperial Police."

I have heard his name before. Captain Ogre of the Imperial Police. Rumors on the streets says that he has been receiving bribes and framing others for crimes they did not commit. It's a mystery why he has not been removed from position. Although with the Capital being corrupt, it isn't really much of a mystery.

"Such an attack would never be able to finish me off."

"It was never meant to finish you off."

I pulled my blade out of its sheathe and ran towards him. I ran past him, staying clear of his blade. I did manage to cut him in his side, but it wasn't deep. Ogre wielded a broadsword. Judging from his build, he seemed like the type of person which favored strength in a combat. If I could move fast enough, I would be able to end the fight quickly without being hit by his blade.

Taking a deep breath, I charged again.

Faster.

I put more strength into each step, pushing myself forwards. I dashed towards him, hoping to land a hit on his head. What I didn't expect was for him to swing his blade. I tried to parry his swing, but lack the strength to do so. I was knocked back and the blade I was carrying was no longer in my hands. He ran towards me, blade above his head, hoping to land a downward strike on me.

Damn it. Looks like I am still inexperienced in combat. Looks like my life ends here. Sayo, Ieyasu. I will be joining you soon.

I readied himself for the slash from Ogre's blade, which never came. I fell to the ground and opened my eyes. Ogre still had his blade above him. However, Ogre was unable to slash downwards, or rather, something is prevented him from doing so. I could see him struggling. Looking more closely, could see strings wrapped around and pierced through each of his limb. Strings are also wrapped around his blade, preventing him from bringing it down.

I am confused. Someone has rescued me from certain death. But who.

"It looks like you still need more experience. You could have died, if I did not save you."

Looking towards the source of the voice, my eyes opened in shock.

Wearing a black long sleeved coat with purple on the edges, was Hikari.

* * *

 **If you see this message, it means that this chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Seriously I changed quite a bit of detail in my previous and current chapter. If you are wondering how Tatsumi fights in case you can't get the picture, Tatsumi fights opportunistically. He would evade strikes from his enemy and wait for the opportunity to finish his opponent to appear. Yes, it is cowardly but very effective. What do you expect? Him to be very proficient with using the blade? In a fight or war, no matter what method you use, you win when you survive till the end. Who cares if people hates you for it. The important thing is that you are alive and able to live through another day.**

 **Well, this chapter marks the start of a new arc. If you find the arc name edgy, well….I got nothing to say about it. I can't find a better name for it.**

 **Well, I should get some sleep. Review to my story. It doesn't matter what you write. Write your autobiography, write your wishes or desires. I will still read them.**

 **Thank you and have a good day!**


	7. Chapter 7: Armor of Black II

**Hi guys.**

 **OK let's get to the point. No, Hikari's Imperial Arms is not Cross Tails. I combined it with something I thought would work and put it into a weapon. I finally decided on Tatsumi's Imperial Arms. It will appear after a few more chapter. The idea was a bit copied from other animes I watched. Try and guess which it is. I will make Tatsumi under-powered for the time being. Having his ass handed to him for every strong person he fights.**

 **Ok enough said. Time for the actual story. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 7: Armor of Black II_

Glints of light. That's what Tatsumi sees in his perspective. These glints of light surrounds the persons he is trying to kill. Ogre.

The source for these glints of light were actually caused by the light from the moon reflecting off wires.

A single voice spoke out to me. I turned to the direction in which it came from, which was also the source of where all the wires came from. Resembling a giant spider with strings all around him, Hikari stood on the roofs.

"Hikari?" This was the words that came out of my mouth.

"You can thank me later. For now, check yourself for injuries."

I pushed myself off the ground and stood. There were no injury, other than a slight tear in the sleeves of my shirt. Picking up my sword, I slot it back into the sheath. Ogre was still struggling with the strings that was restricting him. He had not moved from his position and seem to be frozen in place. His body position seems like as if he was still trying to bring his sword down.

"Oh don't worry about him. He won't be able to move unless I make him."

"What?'

"Have you heard of Imperial Arms?"

"No, should I know about them?"

"Well, depends. Anyways, Imperial Arms are weapons which are ordered to be made by the First Emperor of this Empire, who was paranoid what the Empire would one day end. There were Imperial Arms built before the creation and after the creation of the Empire, but you don't need to know that much. Basically, Imperial Arms were built by the greatest craftsman of that era under the orders and invitation of the First Emperor using the body parts of Legend Class Danger Beasts. Every Imperial Arms have its unique set of power. It can range from enhanced weapons to allowing you to control the elements to simple tools which makes life easier for the user. Anyways, only 48 of these weapons were made and disclosed, but due to the Civil War about 500 years ago and other factors, the numbers were severely reduced. The remaining ones are scattered throughout the lands and some even fell to the hands of other kingdoms and nations. There were similar weapons like Imperial Arms created, however it can't compared in power to the Imperial Arms."

I listened intently. I was at a loss for words and became skeptical of what Hikari have just disclosed to me. However looking at things before me, it seems what he had just said wasn't a lie. If what he said was true, should I get my hands on one of these weapons, shouldn't I be undefeatable?

"So if I find one of this, I will be able to use it?" I asked.

"If it chooses you as its wielder, then yes. If you aren't compatible with it, the consequence is death."

A sound of a flesh being cut sounded in the air. I turned to look at Ogre, who now lay dead on the ground. A knife mark visible on his throat. It seems Ogre just killed himself.

"He killed himself?

"Were you listening to what I have been saying? I control his every move. Basically, I made him kill himself."

After being shown the power an Imperial Arms possess, I can't help but be in awe. Anyone who lay their hands on an Imperial Arm is pretty much omnipotent. I need to get my hands on one of these if possible if I were to survive in this cruel world.

"Well, stay safe."

And with that, he left.

 **...**

I lay on my bed, lost deep within my thoughts.

Arriving in the Capital, with the intentions of making money in the Imperial Army, I was met with the death of my friends. I had promised to take care of them and I wasn't able to keep it. The only thing that's left for me to do would be to make money for the village. It is the only way to redeem myself. Hopefully, they won't find out what had happened.

I eventually fell asleep.

Plunged into a world filled with darkness and nothingness. Voices echoed everywhere inside of this place. One accuses me for being weak, another screaming at him for being unable to protect his friends. It kept going on and on ever since my friends had died. How weak I was. It kept repeating until he wakes up in the morning. I was unable to shut out the noise. At first I was annoyed but soon got used to it as I dismiss it as background noise and eventually ignoring it.

 **...**

I stood on the rooftops. Tasked to kill another target, something that I do every night. This one was involved in bribes and framing innocents. His name is Ogre. Patiently waiting on the rooftop, I waited for the target to appear from the bar which he frequents. It was said that he always come to the bar after work every day. I waited for what seems like an eternity but the target never revealed himself.

Growing impatient, I started fidget at where I stood. I can't just jump down and walk in there. I am a wanted criminal of the Capital. My posters are everywhere. Being seen by anyone would spell trouble. I have no choice but to continue waiting.

"So have your target appeared yet?" someone said behind me.

Turning around, she was greeted by Leone.

"Not yet. He appears to be taking his time."

Leone transforms into her lioness mode.

"Let me check whether he is still around. Boss sent me to check since you are taking too long."

After listening for a while, she suddenly took off in a certain direction. I followed her. Leone kept jumping from one rooftop to another. Finally she stopped and looked down. I arrived at where she stood and looked at where she was looking at. On the ground, lay Ogre's dead body. He had a cut at the throat and a bloodied sword in his hand.

On first glance, one would think that he had committed suicide. But looking closely, you can see that he had some other injuries all over his body. There are puncture marks, like he had been stabbed by needles.

"There is someone's scent here. Although it is faint, I can tell. Someone killed him."

It happened again. Someone killed our targets before we got to them. They killed them for us. Although we should be thankful, we were suspicious. Many of our highly skilled targets were also taken away from us and the killer were still unknown. We don't know their motives and we don't whether they are friends or foes.

"The way Ogre died, was like how some of the other target we didn't kill died. They killed themselves, and had a few needle punctures on some parts of their bodies. Whoever did this, he is pretty good at it. If this keeps going on, we may be forced to take them out."

* * *

 **If you see this message, it means that this chapter has finished being rewritten.**

 **There isn't much change in this chapter from the previous chapters. Only some stuff taken out, some events changed and stuff. You can post me your ideas of how you want this story to progress in the reviews. I enjoys reviews, so don't hesitate to write some to me regarding this story.**

 **Okay, I'm tired.**

 **Thank you and have a good day.**


	8. Chapter 8: Armor of Black III

**Okay, I have wasted enough time trying to bring out Tatsumi's Imperial Arms. Also, Tatsumi has something special about him.**

 **Due to my slothfulness, I will not go into detail about what Hikari's Imperial Arm can do. Rather, you guys can guess what it does. I would give him a tragic backstory for various reasons.**

 **This was published late for I was sick. Sorry if some thought something bad happened.**

 **Okay, enough said, time to read.**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 8: Armor of Black III_

98...99...100.

I lay on the floor, gasping for air like as if that was the only thing I can do.

Losing a bet with Hikari can have serious consequences. He did win fairly. Claiming to only hit me with the first ball. The game was very simple. Hikari claimed that this game can help train my reactions. The loser has to do one thing requested by the winner. He had three balls in his hand and claim to only hit me with the first ball. I wasn't allowed to move unless he thrown the first ball. Instead of throwing the first ball at me, he threw it upwards and placed the second ball in his empty hands. I had thought that he was going to use the second ball. He wasn't lying. It was still the first ball he threw at me. Maybe he used the first ball as a way to distract me. So I readied myself for him to throw the second ball, which he didn't. I was confused until I realised what he had done. By then, the ball has already landed on my head. So I had to do one thing he wanted me to do.

"500 push ups, 100 pull ups, 100 km run in under 10 minutes, 1000 squats other training. This is impossible." I complained.

"A bet is a bet. You should have been ready for such punishments when you accepted the bet. Besides, you never know what you can do unless you try." he retorted. "I will be kind and give you a week to adapt. If you can't manage, I will double the intensity at the end of every week. I will remove this punishment once you are able to do what I asked in one go. Good luck~"

Hikari walked away and waved goodbye with his back turned towards me.

This is impossible. How do you expect me to complete all this. I can't even do half of what he gave me, let alone all of it.

Once I stopped gasping, I tried again. I have nothing better to do in the morning, might as well spend some time doing this.

 **...**

I walked down the streets, heading towards the bar that I frequent.

Tatsumi has potential. With the right amount of training, he can yield results no one can achieve.

Sitting at my usual seat in the corner of the bar, I ordered some food and began to wait for its arrival. This bar is a great place for gathering intel on anything that happens within and outside of the Capital.

"Have you heard, someone broke out of prison."

"What? You got it wrong. It is the prison warden himself who ran away. He apparently gone mad and even stole a special weapon before killing his superior and taking off."

I focused on this conversation. A warden who went mad. There could only be one person. He is quite infamous in the Capital for the number of people he beheaded. Zank the Beheader. He must have stole an Imperial Arms from someone and took off. It was said no one have been able to find him because of this Imperial Arm. Whatever it is, I need to be careful.

The food arrived moments later. Still trapped within my thoughts, I poured some of the food into my mouth.

There was a burning sensation appeared in the back of my mouth, effectively bringing me back to reality. I had not realised that the food was still hot.

Talk about being careful.

 **...**

Opening the door to my room in Hikari's house, I walked in and before I knew, I already had my face buried into the sheets of the bed. Hikari was willing to let me stay at his place until I am able to secure a place in the Capital to stay. His house is pretty neat. His house is found in the Residential District. He got for himself a two storey apartment, a fireplace and all. It isn't as large as what the nobles in the Capital live in, but it is still have the feeling of home whenever I step into his apartment.

My body is aching and refuse to move even an inch. I had spent most of the morning trying to honor the bet that I lost to Hikari. After all that, the only thing I am still able to do properly would be to breathe.

I let my mind wander off. I wanted to make money. The only place that had decided to hire him is at a Blacksmith's shop. I was asked to arrive at noon, for that is when they usually open. I have an hour left. Might as well get ready. I remembered the hammer that I had picked up when I was clearing the bandit's hideout.

Maybe I can use that . At least it is better than letting it rust under my bed.

Sliding off my bed, I peeked under his bed. There, in the corner, lies the black steel hammer. I reached forward to pick it up. I examined it using the light that shone through my window. Black handle with its hammerhead made of grey steel.

There are some words on the face of the hammer. Using my shirt, I attempt to wipe off the dust on the hammer, hoping to see the words clearly.

Something was written there, but I can't read it. It looks like some foreign language. I admired the hammer in awe and subconsciously traced my fingers over the words on the hammer. There was a response and the words started to give off a light blue light.

Somehow I have a gut feeling something bad would happen. I dropped the hammer in shock. Instead of a hard thud when it come into contact with the floor, there was a splash. The hammer, apparently, has now melted and is now in the form of a black goo. Some parts of it was still glowing blue. I leaned forward to take a closer look at the phenomenon before me. It did something completely unexpected. It started moving. Before I can even react, the goo jumped at me. I felt a numbing pain before I blacked out. The last feeling I felt was a sharp pain at the side of my head as it touched the floor

I woke up, finding myself lying on the floor.

Why was I on the ground? I tried recollecting the events of the morning but can't seem to find any useful evidence. I only remembered training, and then collapsing onto the bed. After that, I find myself on the ground. My eyes glanced across the pendulum clock hanging on the wall. I froze.

Oh crap, I'm late for work. I scrambling to get changed, before racing out of my room and ran towards my destination. The process of me changing and running out of the apartment took less than a minute. What a great way to start the first day of work.

Even though I was late for work, the shopkeeper was understanding and didn't blame me for being late. Being a blacksmith isn't easy. There are so many things to look out for. You have to complete certain procedures within a certain time period. A minute more or a minute less and the result would be vastly different. It was a miracle how I was still able to think or not faint from the heat. If not for having prior experience, I would have been lost about what is going on. After a long hard day of work, I was able to head home.

"Night time in the Capital is very dangerous, especially now that there is a serial killer on the loose. It's getting late so why not you make your way home. I won't want to lose a skilled worker like you. You performed beyond my expectations for your first day. Come back tomorrow, okay? And try not to be late." The shopkeeper said.

I complied with his demand, and apologised once again for the last part of the conversation. I shouldn't argue with the shopkeeper. He seems to know the Capital much better than I would.

 **...**

A person stood on the roof of the Clock Tower. He was granted a bird's eye view of the entire Capital. With this gift granted to him, he scanned the entire streets of the Capital, looking for another prey to kill. Currently, he only have one big prize on his mind. Akame of Night Raid. An experienced assassin who had accumulated a higher kill rate than all the other assassin's combined. No one knew the exact number of how much she killed.

"It really is fun to watch prey run around, thinking they are safe. I would enjoy their expressions when they realise that such thinking caused their demise." he talked to himself while thinking of the fun he would be having. "I am very patient, so let's choose who to kill for today and tomorrow. Might as well choose all my prey for this entire week. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" he bursting into a hysterical laughter.

"For today, I choose that girl." he said as he points into the distance. "For tomorrow, I choose that young man over there." pointing to a boy with brown hair. "These two seems fun to torment and kill."

He continued mumbling to himself who he wants to kill, laughing every time he thinks of their possible faces when he kills them.

On his forehead, was an Imperial Arm, in the shape of an eye.

* * *

 **If this message is seen, this chapter has been rewritten.**

 **Well, lets just say that there are three different perspectives in this chapter. Tatsumi's, Hikari's and third person. So the fight is finally gonna happen. Zank vs Tatsumi. I may add more detail into the fight. I feel the previous version is lacking in this area.**

 **Write me reviews. I enjoy them a lot. I enjoy reading your opinions. So write, k?**

 **Well, I'm gonna write and rewrite chapters now.**

 **Thank you and have a good day.**


	9. Chapter 9: Armor of Black IV

**Okay, I know. I am taking too long to get to specific parts of the story. For now, I would try to put more content in each chapter.**

 **I don't know what to call Tatsumi's Imperial Arms, so there will be no name for it at this moment. If you have an idea for it, please tell me. In this chapter, Tatsumi's Imperial Arms finally make its appearance.**

 **Also, I took it upon myself to make Zank a little bit more over powered.**

 **Okay, enough ranting, lemme start writing.**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 9: Armor of Black IV_

This spectacle before me was not possible. It just simply isn't logical. How can the dead be still alive. It just isn't right. They were standing in front of me, with the same smiles etched onto their faces. The radiant smiles that gave off warmth.

No way. I saw them die before me. They should have been dead. So why are they in front of me? Wait, no, that isn't right. He did mention that his Imperial Arm messes with my mind.

Even though I know this piece, it was replaced by the shock of seeing Ieyasu and Sayo who stood before me. They are dead, and they are never going to come back. So why are they still alive?

Just what did I get myself into.

 **...**

I sprinting around the Capital, hoping to familiarise myself with the streets and not get lost. I doesn't hurt to be hardworking. This also serve as a way for me to be prepared for anything. Knowing the terrain would be helpful, if I were ever to be caught in a sticky situation.

The Capital seemed like a maze. Every corner I turns results in me finding something new. It seemed as though it would take at least a few days just to know where everything is.

"Hey did you hear? Someone was murdered yesterday. Heard from the Guards, it was Zank, the warden. Apparently he went mad and starts murdering everyone he sees."

This discussion caught my attention. Zank? Where have I heard that name from?

"Yeah, I know. He is the reason why there is a curfew put in place. Anyone, including the Imperial Guards, found outside would always be headless." Before long, their discussion became something about things that happened in their personal lives.

I have heard that a curfew was put in place. Apparently, the moment the sun goes down, everyone was expected to be in their homes. No one should be on the streets, unless you have a death wish. The streets would become completely empty. Perhaps there would be some people who are still outside, skeptical of being dead only by going outside. The result would be the same regardless of whoever set foot outside. Death.

I had initially wanted to stay past the curfew and battle Zank, but judging from my fight with Ogre, it was clear how much of a gap there was between a veteran fighter and a rookie. I wouldn't even be a match for Zank.

I remember now. Zank. The Beheader. He escaped from the Imperial Prison in the West of the Empire. Apparently, he went insane and caused a rampage. Killing wardens and prisoners alike. The cause of his insanity was unknown. Some theorised that he went insane from the number of people he executed as a warden. He also acquired a Imperial Arm while he was on rampage in the prison. I never was able to grasp what Imperial Arms are. I only regarded them as weapons with powers that is capable of performing miracles. I was hoping to find one myself. It seems pretty useful and it doesn't hurt to possess one. However, Hikari did mention that the wielder of the Imperial Arms needs to be compatible with the Imperial Arms to be able to use it.

Something invaded my thoughts. It came as an image in my mind, which only came for about an instant. It was a black knight. Blue flames danced around his helmet and between the cracks in his armor. Just as sudden in its appearance, the image was dispelled by my other thoughts. I desperately tried to find that image again from within the depths of my mind, hoping to find answers. It wasn't easy and I never did find it. It took me a few moment to comprehend what had just happened. The last time I had visions like this was after Ieyasu and Sayo had died. I told no one, but while I was crying I had visions of them dying over and over again and I also saw them back at the village, happily interacting with everyone.

I looked up at the sky. It's getting late. I should hurry back soon. The sun has set and curfew should have already been in place. I stopped at a convenience store to grab some snacks before heading back.

"Someone, please. Anyone, help me!" someone screamed. It seems like the person who requested for help was nearby. Maybe I should go check it out, see what's going on. I started running towards the direction of the voice. Someone seems to be in trouble. In front of me, a burly man was having a tug of war with a lady. It seems like the man was dragging both the bag she was carrying and her towards the alleyways. Maybe an attempted robbery and rape. When not many people are outside, crime like stealing and such would be common.

Rushing to the ladies' aid, I tackled the burly man. The man tried to score a few punches on me but was ineffective and they were easily dodge. Seeing as to how things aren't looking up for him, he started running away.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I think so." She said.

A sound resembling flesh being cut echoed throughout the streets. I looked around. There was no one in sight.

"Say, I think we should go indoors. There is a serial killer on the loo-" My words were stuck in my mouth as something landed onto the ground near me. I looked towards the object. There were few strands of hair attached to the object, and one end of it has a red liquid oozing out of it. I turned back to the girl which I helped. He body was still standing, like before. The only difference is that her head is missing from its usual spot. Blood was still spurting out of her neck, which looked like a fountain. After a few moments, the body fell onto the floor. I stood up from where I was and looked around. I was in the middle of an alleyway. There are many places that the culprit could be at. I could be taken by surprise and that could be fatal. Drawing my sword, I started sprinting for the town square. If I remember correctly, there are tons of space for combat and very little place for the killer to take me by surprise. I kept running, all the while checking for traps. My mind was working in overdrive, looking for places where I could be ambushed and also places he can run to as a last resort.

The Town Square came into my view. Giving myself a bit more strength into each step, I burst into the Town Square. Whoever was trying to kill me earlier would be forced to come out should he or she want to kill me. I waited, but no one appeared. I kept waiting but still no one appeared.

Someone tapped me on my shoulder. Sensing unease, I moved away from my initial spot. Turning around, I received the greatest shock of my life. In front of me were the people who I had seen die before me. Ieyasu and Sayo.

"Guys? You're alive?" I was shock and surprised. My friends are dead, I buried them. So how is it that they are still alive. Something seems off.

The two friends gave no reply to my question. I was going to approach them when a stray thought came into my mind. This could just be a hallucination. Lately, I have been mentally unstable due to the loss of my friends. It would not be surprising if I had actually gone mad and start seeing illusions of them. There is no way they are still alive. That's right.

An illusion.

Now that I think about it. Since they are already dead and the people before me should've been dead, doesn't it make sense to kill the illusionary them too? This way I would be able to get over their deaths. That's right. Kill the two before me.

""" **Kill them."""**

It seems the voices that have been in my head have returned. It seems they are now urging me to kill them.

I charged towards my two friends, blade aimed at their necks.

The illusions of them quickly changed as I charged. Replacing them at that spot was a middle-aged man. He has blades attached at his wrists, which he had used to block against the attack just now.

"Man, you really are crazy. I wanted to kill you tomorrow since you were just another ordinary guy, but it seems you aren't ordinary in the first place. Oops, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Zank and many call me the Beheader. I am very good at executions I gotta say. Your mind is as fucked-up as mine. Man, you are not even hesitating when you wanted to kill your dead friends."

He sneak a peek at me and instantly stopped speaking. It seems he was preparing himself for combat. I gripped my sword firmly. I am pissed. This guy claimed to have made me see the illusions of my dead friends. I was relieved. It proves that I wasn't insane. That's really great, but I was also pissed. He made me see illusions of my dead friends. He must have been playing tricks on my mind. I really hate it when someone is able to read my thoughts. I readied myself and charged. Putting all of my power into each step.

I looked at him dead in the eye. Every voice in my mind is now screaming for me to kill him. It keeps getting louder every second. I reached him and stabbed my sword tip-first. I tried to stab him, and it pierced his flesh. Well, would have, if he didn't bring up his wrist blades to deflect the stab.

"Useless. Simply useless. None of your strikes would even land a hit on me. Not while I have this thing on me. Behold. Omnipotent Five Sights: Spectator. I can see every move you make. My Imperial Arm allows me to see into your mind. I can hear every thought you have and also allows me to see the future. " Zank explained.

I processed this in my mind. The voices are now a symphony of different verses. Some screamed that he was lying, others screamed that what he said was impossible. I tried my best to ignore them and focused on my thoughts and begin to think. I was skeptical about seeing into the future. The future isn't set in stone. Maybe he can only see a possibility of how the future would turn out to be, or predict. Also seeing into another's mind would seem impossible, but after witnessing first hand the power the Imperial Arms contain, I was starting to believe that this could actually be true. If Zank can read minds, he would have known everything that I have in my arsenal and techniques that I could pull.

I backed away and charged to wards him once more. I made sure to run as fast as I can. I wasn't satisfied with my current speed. Zank was taken aback when I charged towards him. He hastily lifted his wrist blades to block my strikes. His wrist blades are more for consecutive strikes than heavy strikes. If I can gather enough strength, I would be able to gain an opening.

"Kid, here's an advice. Don't think too much." Zank said as he punch me in my stomach, launching me a few metres back. I wasn't stabbed, the blade merely grazed my sides.

"Kid, tell me this. What do you do with the screams? I peeked into your mind. Screams of people are there. Were they people you killed? Or were they people whom died in front of you? "

I gave no reply. I don't even know myself.

"It seems like you could use some entertainment." he started laughing.

I looked up from he he had fallen. The entire landscape has changed. I continue to look around. The skies were dyed red. In the ground were many crosses. Everywhere, people were crucified. Some tied to it using ropes, while others were pinned using nails. Most of the people who were crucified were strangers whom I don't recognise. Some seemed familiar. Among them, I saw someone familiar. It was someone he had seen many times. He had also saved me a couple of times. On the cross, was Hikari.

 **...**

Zank kneel down from where he stood. Using his Imperial Arm's trump card is actually physically demanding, but it was worth it. He had manage to immobilize his target. He wondered just who this kid was. His mind was pretty scary, and his past was tainted with blood. Especially blood of his loved ones. Just as he was about to behead him, he felt a sharp pain on his right hand. Something was stabbed into his hand. Another sharp pain was felt. He look down to see strings shooting out of his stomach.

"Sorry. I had wanted to kill you in a proper but the current situation now doesn't allow me to do so. You see, that kid is somehow related to us so you may want to spare his life."

With some movement of his fingers, Zank's wrist blade was now lodged into his throat and he lay dead, choking on his own blood. Hikari walked towards the corpse and plucked the eye shaped Imperial Arms off his forehead.

"Now whatever he did to Tatsumi should wear off."

Hikari took a step forward, hoping to retrieve Tatsumi. In that instant that he was about to pick him up, his instincts started to act up. His legs pushed him away from Tatsumi's body.

In the next instant, the area around Tatsumi exploded. The entire ground surrounding him began to burn in dark blue flames. Tatsumi' body began to stand up from within the flames. His skin melted under the strong heat. Flesh began to darken as it becomes burnt. The black parts of the flesh melted and moved throughout his body. It eventually hardened and formed a protective layer around Tatsumi. He took a few steps forward, and pulled a sword out from a region of space that seems like it was also burnt black by the flames. A sword materialized in his hand. With a demonic roar, the flames that burnt were extinguished by the wind created from it. The concrete tiles were also blown away in all direction by the wind caused by the roar.

Analyzing what had happened, Hikari looked shocked at what was once Tatsumi. Tatsumi was now wearing an armor that was even darker than the night sky. His armor also has cracks in several areas and blue light of the flames shone through the cracks from under the armor.

Hikari stared at the suit of armor, wide-eyed.

"When did he acquire an Imperial Arm?" Hikari yelled to himself from within his mind. This is bound to attract attention. This has to be settled cautiously and efficiently. I can't kill Tatsumi who could still be alive under the armor. Yet I have to make him regain control of his Imperial Arm. Maybe the activation and lost of control of the Imperial Arm was caused by the effects of the imperial Arm Spectator. The trump card of Spectator was recorded to be capable of any feat as long as it is done on the mind. Hikari is unsure of what Tatsumi was shown, but it couldn't have been pleasant.

* * *

 **This message implies that rewrite for this chapter is done.**

 **As you can clearly see, Tatsumi's mental state is becoming increasingly unstable when mentioned about his friends or loved ones. The Teigu he possess is also created by yours truly. I upped the specs for Spectator. Instead of just simple mind tricks, mind reading and prediction of the future, it is capable of anything related to mind abilities, provided the user is able to handle it. Of course, none of the users, except for the first user of the Imperial Arm, can be able to bring out its full capabilities.**

 **This chapter took me quite a while, since I have to describe how the transformation works, and it killed plenty of my brain cells trying to think of unique transformation for Tatsumi's teigu.**

 **Well, all I wanted to say for this chapter have been said. Please leave a review.**

 **Thank you for reading and have a good day.**


	10. Chapter 10: Armor of Black V

**Okay, I have made a decision.**

 **For the next few weeks, I can either choose to revamp my earlier chapters or keep posting new ones. Although posting new ones are my top priority, I kinda feel that there are certain parts of my chapters that are missing. Take for instance, the fight scenes. I didn't elaborate on it. Also, I was trying to make Tatsumi insane. Sorry if that didn't get across. Nonetheless, I will try to get over my indecisiveness and make a firm decision on what I would be doing over the next few weeks. I don't have a team of people helping me out so everything that comes out is straight from the oven. If may try to force one of my friends to help me out, but for the time being, please make do with my horrible grammar and vocabulary.**

 **Also, something important came up. The OTP in this anime. Looking at how things turned out in my story, I would say that AkameXTatsumi is the most certain. But lets just keep this in view.**

 **The next thing I wanna say would be that some of the character's death would be prevented. Sorry for the disappointment.**

 **Lastly, let me just say I added in tons of OCs. Don't worry. The main character would still be Tatsumi and the OCs are there to help Tatsumi. They would eventually retreat to the sidelines or be killed off. * Evil Grin ***

 **To all the people who reviewed my story, Thank You! Your suggestions and encouragements are helpful. I hope I would be able to write better so as to meet your expectations.**

 **Anyways, enough talking, let's start the chapter.**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 10: Armor of Black V_

I stared at the abomination before me. Technically, that "abomination" is Tatsumi. Apparently he found an Imperial Arm which went out of control. From its appearance it seems to be one of the Armor-Type Imperial Arm.

"Tatsumi, can you hear me?" I shouted to the thing before me, hoping for Tatsumi to still be conscious underneath that black armor of his. That armor gives me the chills. There are some cracks on the breastplate of the armor, which emanates a blue light from within the armor. The helmet seems to be a close helmet which is also made up of the same black material like with the armor. The only light coming from inside the helmet are two blue lights spaced from each other, resembling eyes.

A loud roar, like one of a Danger Beast, was the only reply that I got. The commotion that Tatsumi transformation had caused is bound to attract attention. I have to take down Tatsumi before people come over to investigate so as to hide our identities.

I jumped into the air and begin to shoot my strings in all directions in an attempt to weave a web. I land on one of the strings and perfectly maintained my balance. Next, I began to run around the Square on the strings I put out, hoping that the black knight would focus his attention on me. While running, I constantly shoot my strings towards Tatsumi. He is still encased within that armor of his and hasn't spoken a word since his transformation. I can assume he is unconscious.

He better be ready to answer my questions for I have a load of it.

Tatsumi still hadn't moved from the spot he had been in, although his helmet did move around to keep his sights on me. The strings I shot towards him harmlessly bounced off the black armor he was wearing. The best that I managed to do was to merely push him back.

With the sword in his hands, the black knight charged towards me. Hoping to take him down faster, I ran around the square, luring him to follow me. As I ran, I weaved the stings I have into a sword. I stopped and proceeded to run towards him. Our blades clashed and sparks were created. His sword was rusty, with some areas having black stains. It is dangerous if that were to cut me. The wounds may become infected.

Try as I might, I am unable to land a single decisive hit on him. His strength is effectively pushing him back. His sword wasn't able to slice through the strings, but I can feel that his sword could be able to sever them anytime.

I moved back slightly. I needed to get him into the spot where I needed him to be in. Jumping a few steps back, I shot more strings towards him. He followed me, hoping to deprive me of a chance to use a different strategy. He moved forwards with one great step, and was held in place.

As I ran around, I weaved strings and set up a trap. The black knight had to be at a certain spot, and since he won't go there willingly, I have to lure him. Strings were effectively halting his movement. I pulled the strings with greater strength and the black knight was lifted off the ground and into mid-air. I held him in this position as I walked closer to him. My hands are in pain. The weight of this things was really heavy. I walked towards him and weaved multiple spikes. I shoved the spike into the cracks on the armor that I can find, hoping to control his mind. If I can get these spikes to pierce his flesh, I can access his mind and get him to call off the Imperial Arm. One went underneath the breastplate, another went underneath his gauntlet. I can feel the strings stab into the flesh. Clearing my mind, I tried to take over control of his mind.

My Imperial Arm allows me to control people, like as if they are puppets. Controlling can be either by manipulating their movements via strings or take over their mind. I can also do a few other stuff with the strings, but it can't do much as this Imperial Arm has limited strings and requires time to make more of it. The more strings that are stabbed into a person, the better the chances of them being controlled by me. I can also use this Imperial Arm to control a group of people, which can be useful.

I tried to control Tatsumi using the strings that I had stabbed into him. Nothing happened.

The black knight just stood there, its armor still equipped. Even when I ordered him to deactivate his Imperial arms, nothing happened.

Don't tell me Tatsumi doesn't know how to deactivate his Imperial Arms.

I removed the strings out of his flesh. I jumped back and released the strings that binds him. My strength isn't infinite and he is heavy.

I really don't want to use my trump card here. It consumes a lot of my physical strength and mental capacity and I won't be able to escape should anything happen. There should be another way.

The black knight, having regained control his body, began to charge at me once more. Without this Imperial Arm, Tatsumi can achieve speed that trumps many of the experienced fighters in the Imperial Guards. His current speed right now in his Imperial Arm is nowhere near his true speed.

The armor must have been really heavy.

I jumped away to avoid the charge. Using some of the strings, I begin to weave shapes of various soldiers. Several soldiers stood beside me when I was done. All were equipped with armor and weapons made from strings.

The black knight continued to charge towards me, this time swinging his sword at anything that got in his way. I danced around the square, jumping from one string to the other to dodge all of the attacks thrown at me. I would make my string soldiers attack at every opening I could find. Soon, the armor of the black knight began to crack even more and parts of the armor fell off. Knowing that the tables have now turned, the black knight retreated to where the dead body of Zank was. He raised his hand over the dead body, allowing some black substance to flow into the body from his palm. The substance entered the body through the opening in the face. Nothing happened for several moments before the body slowly stood up.

As if by magic, the dead body of Zank began to burn with a dark blue flame. Flesh was burnt off. When the flame subsided, only the skeleton of the person remained. It stood up, still having the clothes and weapons of Zank. The skeleton charged at the string soldiers I created. With his minion holding back the string soldiers, the black knight renewed his assaults on me. Instead of moving away, I ducked under the swing of the blade and scored a punch on the breastplate of the black knight. The breastplate cracked, partially revealing the body of Tatsumi.

"I don't know what you saw Tatsumi, but know this. I have been through worse and I don't intend to be taken down by you. Not today, not ever."

Not giving the black knight any chance to recover, I charged forwards, constantly striking him on his breastplate. At the last moment, I swept the ground with my legs, causing him to lose his balance. I moved behind him and using all of my strength, I lifted him into the air and slammed it down onto the ground. He tried to stand up, which was futile. I impaled his body into the ground using the strings which were weaved into spikes. The spikes pierced through his flesh and become firmly lodged into the ground. The black knight before me struggled for some time, before exhausting his strength. The armor faded, turned back into dark blue flames and disappeared. The skeleton of Zank fall onto the concrete and fell apart.

I wasted no time. Removing the spike which was pierced through his stomach, I tried my best to stop the bleeding. Retracted all the strings that was cast out onto the area and wrapped it over my body underneath whatever remaining clothing I was still wearing. I need to get his body out of the area. The Imperial Arm was safely hidden in my pockets. I wasted some time taking down Tatsumi. Using whatever remaining strength I have left, I hauled his body over my shoulders and started walking away. Everything would have been perfect, if not for the two figures which landed before me from who knows where.

I recognize one of them. Raven black hair and blood red eyes. Formerly part of The Elite Seven, an assassination group comprising of seven elite assassins who were trained from young by the Empire's greatest swordsman, Gozuki. Her weapon was the infamous Murasame, rumored to kill any enemy with just one cut. She was trained in the assassin program implemented by one of the nobles. After achieving success for this program, a power struggle between the corrupt nobles broke out and various factions were formed. This event was known only by the upper class citizens (and above) of the Empire and was labelled as "Dark Wars". All of the different factions raced to create more assassins to take down the opposing factions. I was one of the victims of these programs, or rather test subjects of the experiments that aimed to artificially create the perfect soldier through various means. In the end the Prime Minister, which had remained neutral since he was still amassing power stepped in and quelled the tensions. All this occurred before the succession of the throne to the current child Emperor.

The other person had yellow hair and looked more like an humanoid animal than a human. I have not seen her before.

Things aren't looking good.

 **...**

I was still under the effects of Zank's trump card, whatever it was. I was made to witness a nightmare. People impaled on stakes, people tied on crosses, people crucified. These aren't just any people. These are people Tatsumi actually recognize, even though I didn't realise I knew them. The people back at his village. His parents. Sayo and Ieyasu. Hikari.

Ok the last one seems off. Even if he had not seen Hikari in combat, I know that he possesses skills that can rival even the Great General. Just his aura the other day was enough to overwhelm me. I was skeptical that he could be defeated easily. I was shocked, seeing everyone else being tortured and made to die in this way.

They aren't dead. This was done by an Imperial Arm. This is just a nightmare, right? An illusion, nothing more. There is nothing to worry about. Don't let this get to you. The people at the village are still alive and everyone else are dead. I saw them die, so that confirms it. Nothing to worry about.

 **"Are you sure?"**

I was startled and look around for the source of the voice. Yet, I was unable to find anyone. There was a slight movement in the ground I was standing on. A hand reached out from the earth. Then, all around me, the earth was moved apart as hands began reaching out form the ground. It pulled itself from the ground. Corpses. Tons of corpses were moving out from the ground they were buried in.

Of course, I screamed, only for a moment, before realizing how absurd the situation was. This is merely another of the mind games that Zank is putting me through. I chuckled. How absurd.

 **""Everyone you love will die.""** The corpses were talking. They stood up once they were freed from the earth. They slowly began to walk towards me from all directions.

I am now surrounded with nowhere to run. The corpses continuously repeated that same line, as if they something would happen if they keep saying it. This sentence starts ringing in my ear.

It slowly died down as they got even closer to me.

"Eventually, all you love will die. Tatsumi. You can't escape this."

I turned around to see someone I have not met since her demise, she was looking at me with a look of disappointment. Her face was the last thing I saw before my vision was replaced with corpses as I was being buried by corpses.

Mom. Why are you here?

 **...**

I continued to stared at the two women in front of me. Night Raid. The group of assassins which has been causing trouble within the Capital, or so the Imperial Police have been saying. All of its members are highly skilled and equipped with Imperial Arms, making each member a military asset if they were in the Army.

I had wanted to escape before anyone arrive. Luck ran out. Now I have to face Night Raid. Most of my strength was expended on defeating Tatsumi and I may not have much left to combat against these two people from Night raid.

"Say, do you know what happened here?" the blonde asked. "We would appreciate it if you tell us everything you know." She was cracking her knuckles as she spoke and her tone wasn't really implying she was dumb.

I'm at wit's end. I need to get away as far as possible.

"Errr..., my friend got drunk and I came to pick him up." Hoping to stall for time, i answered her rhetorical question.

The reply that came was not what I liked.

"Say, have we met before? You look familiar."

Before I can give any explanation, the yellow haired lady charged towards me. However, she never manage to reach me. Someone stood between us. In his hands were cards, poker cards.

More figures landed around me.

"Fancy seeing you here, Hikari." One of them said.

"Are you okay?"Said another.

"What caused that explosion just now?"

I grinned. Apparently miracles do occur even in such a cruel world. Help has arrived. I haven't seen them around for quite some time and having a reunion in such a situations makes me relieved and depressed at the same time. It really reflects my incompetence as a leader.

"You guys are late!"

* * *

 **Rewrite has completed for this chapter.**

 **Phew, I had so much to do ever since my holidays started. I started to take up a part-time job, giving me less time to write. The good thing is that this job is pretty laid-back sometimes which allows me to have time to daydream about how to further plot for my stories.**

 **Well, this chapter basically showcases some of the abilities Tatsumi's Imperial Arm has and how volatile it is. Well, try to guess the Imperial Ams main ability. I'll give you guys a treat if you can guess correctly. Hehe. Anyways, one more thing to clarify. Why did Tatsumi see his mother in that illusion instead of someone else. I initially wanted to add Sayo or someone else. Don't worry, it doesn't play much significance to plot. I put his mother since it is the person that is closest to him. Why is the mother closest to him? C'mon. There is a period of time where we solely depended on our mothers for support and comfort. Like when we were young, we tend to be generally more close to our mothers than our fathers. I can't really explain it, but we are closer to the person that spends more time with us. It is only after a while where we find other people close to us. People like our lovers or our friends during the course of our lives as we become independent and no longer rely on our parents.**

 **Well, review on this story. Reviews gives me ideas for improvement and a source of motivation for me to do better. I changed my writing style a lot after some advice from my reviewers who PMed me. So remember to review, k?**

 **Well, I'll sign off here. Thank you and have a good day.**


	11. Chapter 11: Armor of Black VI

**I have a few things to say.**

 **One, I have already revamped my first chapter so if you wanna see what is different, go check it out.**

 **Two, a big thank you to the people who supported me and the reviewer who gave me a name to Tatsumi's Imperial Arms. You guys have been a big help. Also, the pairing is not confirmed so any kind of pairing you can think of involving Tatsumi and a girl is possible.**

 **Three, I may be publishing two more stories. One would be about Hikari's past while the other would be another fanfic where Tatsumi is being placed in a modern world. So basically, he goes to school etc. I would tell you guys again at a later date when it is ready.**

 **Okay. That is enough things to talk about. Let's get started.**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 11: Armor of Black VI_

I walked along the now empty streets of the Capital. Apparently, due to the random killing conducted by a psychopath, a curfew has been placed to protect the people, which is just there to tell the nobles not to come out of their homes. To be honest, the Prime Minister doesn't care about the lives of the lower-class citizens. Since the Emperor is still a child, the Prime Minister is the one who holds all of the power within the Capital, or at least influence the decisions of the Emperor.

Zank, a psychopath who randomly kills people under the cover of the night, was being spotted in the Capital. Making things worse would be the fact that he has an Imperial Arm. To protect the people from being killed, Najenda has tasked everyone in Night Raid to be mobilized in groups of two and search for Zank.

I have been tasked to search for Zank around the town square with Leone. We have been walking around for hours, occasionally avoiding the guards but only silence fill the air. Not even a foot step can be heard most of the time.

Obviously, since Leone have always been impatient, we decided to patrol somewhere else to cover more ground. A scream caught our attention and the two of us ran as fast as we could towards it. Of course, by the time we arrive a body was what's left in the place. A body without a head.

"We were too late. In the end, we were still unable to catch him." I calmly stated.

"No. I can still find him. Using my enhanced sense of smell, I can still find him." Leone said as she transformed into her lioness form.

Within the next few minutes, we were towards the town square. Midway, an explosion sounded in the direction of our destination.

"A fight is taking place." Leone said. "I can hear the of battle. There is also another thing. Remember the person who killed Ogre? I found his scent in the direction of the town square. Whoever it is, he may be fighting Zank even as we speak. We finally get to see who the person taking away our kills was."

I nodded. Whoever it was, they have been killing our targets, some of which were veteran soldiers, proving that they are strong. This only proves that they are as dangerous as us. Maybe even more powerful.

A random thought into my mind.

Could that boy she saw back then be there too? He may be part of those people, although he wasn't reported. Back then I must have thought of him as someone who is exacting revenge for his fallen friends.

After much running and jumping from roof to roof, we arrive at the square. The first person I saw was someone unfamiliar. I have never met him before, even though I often traverse throughout the Capital, I should have seen him before. Why did I never see him before? "

There was someone lying on the ground behind him, and a skeleton of someone else.

"Say, do you know what happened here?" Leone asked the man in front of us. He had white hair and was wearing a black coat. The skeleton lay on the ground a few metres behind him.

"Errr..., my friend got drunk and I came to pick him up." the man said. His lie seems pretty convincing, though it doesn't help clear him of his charges.

"Say, have we met before? You look familiar." Leone said.

After saying this, Leone charged towards the man, ready for a fight. I was about to join her when she was stopped. I felt the presence of some other people. Something exploded in front of Leone, who managed to escape from it unscathed. Someone was in her way. A few people landed beside him. There were about three to four people. Even with my Imperial Arm, this fight is disadvantageous. These people in front of me are strong, I can feel it. Adding in the fact that we know nothing about their power and skills, a retreat is the best option. However, my teammate made no move to retreat. She intends to fight.

 **...**

I continued to stare at the two ladies before me.

"We would appreciate it if you would just let us go for tonight. We don't wish to resort to violence." I shouted.

"What's this? You scared you gonna get beaten by a lady?" the yellow haired woman taunted.

Trying to anger me so that I would initiate an attack. She could fight us so as to get more information about us. That is quite smart. However, I don't wanna fight them. The other girl, Akame, has a very dangerous weapon. One-Cut Killer. Murasame. Just fighting someone with it would be a problem. Being caught off guard would be fatal. Not to mention Akame's speed can be compared to Tatsumi or mine. Maybe even faster. The yellow haired girl also have a troublesome Imperial Arm. Beast Ruler: Lionelle. It transforms the user into a beast, enhancing their senses. With her sense of smell, she would be able to find us should we escape. "

"Does anyone here have a smoke grenade? The kind that also release a foul smell." I asked my friends. Apparently, they would always pack one in their inventory. I threw the smoke grenade towards the two Night Raid members, specifically the blond girl. With the unconscious Tatsumi on my shoulder, I ran with all of my might. My friends did help me out, guiding me to a safer route where they would not be caught. Fortunately, the Night Raid members was unable to pinpoint our location. We are safe, for now.

 **...**

I woke up, once again dragged from the world of nothingness. Looking at my surroundings, I was returned back into my room. I thought back to the night before. Other than me fighting Zank, I have no other memory of returning home, let alone winning the fight against Zank.

Maybe Hikari helped me out again. I would have to ask him what happened next time I see him.

Pushing myself off of the bed, I got dressed and head out.

I wonder what went down last night.

The reply was not what I was expecting. Instead of the usual no one answering my questions, something in my mind answered me.

 **"You. Defeated. Unconscious."** Something said.

"Who's there?" I said, looking everywhere in my room.

Whatever that had replied my earlier question decided to not make himself or herself known and ignored my question.

I think I'm just exhausted. No way would there be something else in my head, right?

 **"Right."** the same voice replied again.

That's it. I really need to rest.

 **...**

I walked back towards our base with the other members of Night Raid. The mission was a failure. Not only was our target killed by someone else, another Imperial Arm falls into the hands of people with unknown affiliations.

Walking through the door of our hideout, everyone went about their usual routine. Najenda came into the room a few moments later.

"So how was the mission?" She asked everyone.

"Failure. Zank was killed by someone else before we arrived at the scene, and there was a victim of this incident." I replied.

"Say, is it me or are these kind of things have been happening alot lately." Sheele asked.

Sheele was really slow at picking up things s at this point no one was surprised at how she had just picked up this fact.

"Shouldn't we hunt them down and interrogate them?" Mine suggested

"Did you see how the culprits looked like?" Najenda asked.

"It was just a guy with white hair wearing a black coat. There were others at the scene, all of them had distinct features." Leone said. Her voice sounded weird. Her nose was blocked due to the scent caused by the grenade that guy threw. It going to take some time before she can smell again.

Leone continued to give a rundown on the appearance of these people we met.

Najenda hadn't spoke in a while, keeping herself in her thoughts to herself. It was several moment before he spoke again.

"Are you sure about their features?"

"Yeah. I couldn't mistake it. There isn't much people with such distinct features." Leone replied confidently..

"Ok everyone. Listen up. The people Leone described are dangerous. From this moment on, if you see them during your missions, avoid at all cost. They are very dangerous, even though they aren't working for the Empire anymore. Their affiliations are unknown, making their overall intentions unknown." Najenda said to everyone.

"What if they show hostile intentions towards us?" Lubbock asked.

"If that ever happens," Najenda looks up and gave all of us a emotionless stare. "Kill them."

* * *

 **Rewrite for this chapter is completed.**

 **First off, to avoid confusion, I will tell you how the p.o.v changes. In this chapter the p.o.v changed from Akame to Hikari to Tatsumi to Akame. Just to make this clear or some people would get confused.**

 **So yea, Tatsumi has someone in his mind speaking to him. Won't really say much about that. 'Just read on' is the best advice I can give for now.**

 **Okay, I gonna check out the new anime for the fall season. Bye!**

 **Thank you for reading and have a good day.**


	12. Chapter 12: Armor of Black VII

**OK. I admit it. I don't know what to do anymore.**

 **I want to ship Mein/Akame with Tatsumi cause it is canon. However, I also kinda like Chelsea and Sheele too. Esdeath ship is still a possibility due to the tournament. For now, I may select Akame ship as main. If you don't like this ship, it's okay. This decision is subjected to change and nothing is definite until I write it out.**

 **Okay, I have talked too much. Let's begin. El Psy Congroo!**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 12: Armor of Black VII_

I walked out of my room. I had wanted to train outside before going to work. Even if it does not feel right, it still doesn't give me a reason to skip out from training. Besides, I still have to complete the bet I made with Hikari. Even if it seems impossible, I shouldn't go back on his word.

Before I managed to open the door to the outside, Hikari called for me. Apparently, he want to discuss some things with me.

Waiting for me to sit down at the table in the living room, Hikari sat there for a moment before he spoke.

"Tatsumi, do you remember what happened during your battle with Zank?"

I tried to think back. Nothing much came into my mind. Nothing within my memory suggest the conclusion of our battle. "I only remember fighting him for a few minutes. I don't remember anything else."

There was a pause before he raised another question.

"Did you obtain an Imperial Arms?"

This question was a shock to me. I wanted to laugh at this question. I was played by Zank. The difference in our combat potential is vastly different. He had a god damn Imperial Arm. Also, there is no way someone would be able to obtain one without looking for it. However, judging on how serious Hikari looked at the moment, I tried my best to hold back.

"No, I did not." Though I really wanted to have one.

Hikari remained silent for a moment before he spoke up. "Tatsumi, given your talents and potential, I would like to extend the invitation once again. Would you like to join us? To combat against the Empire, to aid the victims of the Minister's schemes here in the Capital."

I thought for a moment. Being invited to join a group conspiring against the Empire has its risks. You would be branded a criminal should you be caught. However, you would be indirectly helping the people who are suffering. That is the only good point.

All of my doubts were on something else. I was the last lifeline for my village. I can't just decide on something like this. I need to consider the implications. If I die, the village is gone.

"What do I have to do if I were to join you." I asked.

The reply was something I had expected. Even if I knew that these kind of things exists, I was still not prepared to face it.

"Murder."

These are what he has to do in this job. Killing people who are deemed guilty. People who hurt others, people who did things for their own good while others suffered and people who kills others out of enjoyment.

I wanted to reject. I need to get money for my village. Should I also die, they would follow suit. Just when I was about to lose heart, images flashed into my mind. Images of Sayo and Ieyasu. Sayo and Ieyasu had died to a family of sadists pretending to be good Samaritans. If they had not existed, the two of them would not have died. Someone needs to be there to stop these things from happening to others.

Making up his mind, Tatsumi said with a strong resolve. "Count me in."

 **...**

What had happened after I had decided to become an assassin was not what I enjoyed. I was first knocked out upon saying that I would help them and taken to their base of operations. When I woke up, I was being rushed into a room and given a mission briefing. Before he can ask any questions or figure out what is going on, I was already on a mission to assassinate someone. As this is my first mission, I would be kept under supervision. The person supervising had a tall top hat and a mask that cover his entire face. He wore a formal suit and tie and even had the shoes to match his outfit. He doesn't talk much though and everyone back at the base calls him Joker, given how he liked to play pranks.

I was asked to kill someone who was trying to control market prices. Buying it at a low price and selling it for a higher price. The profits would be kept into his pocket. His actions have caused the prices of many of the daily necessities to fluctuate. After countless hours of waiting, the target showed up. Of course, he was executed swiftly, with my blade through his skull. His bodyguards present were no match for me and they were killed even before they drew their weapons.

Walking back to where the base was, I realized that I was lost. The sun has started to rise over the horizon. Turning to where I thought Joker would be, I wanted to ask for directions. However, no one was there. He must have turned a corner somewhere else and left me alone. Is this a prank? Obviously, this is bad news for me. I tried to retrace my footsteps but it didn't work. I just got even more lost and now I don't even know where I am.

Just when I was about to give up, someone spoke up from behind me.

"You, there! Is there something I can help you with?" I turned towards the voice. The person was apparently female, with auburn hair and amber eyes. She was dressed in a uniform that the Imperial Police wears. Something on a leash bounced as she ran towards me.

"I'm Seryu Ubiquitous from the Imperial Police and a soldier of justice." she introduced herself.

An image of Ogre flashed in my mind. Imperial Police. That was where Ogre was from.

Some kind of noise sounded at her feet. Looking down, I found a oversized dog. Okay, maybe not a dog since it doesn't even remotely look like one. For weird reasons, the dog gives me chills. Every part of my body was tensed and voices screamed inside of my head. Some telling me to run, other telling him to kill. There was even some telling him to get something to eat. Apparently the voices are pretty random. However, it isn't relevant in this situation so Tatsumi dismissed that voice.

Seryu bent down and began to talk to the dog, I mean thing, at her feet. I decide to ask her what it is. The reply was something he did not expect. "Imperial Arms. Hecatoncheir. But don't worry. He only harms evildoers." I stared at the thing for a few seconds.

That thing is an Imperial Arm? Like aren't Imperial Arms non-living things? Like a weapon or tools. Why is an animal-like thing considered an Imperial Arm. How is it even made?

The staring contest was cut short when Seryu asked if she can offer me any assistance.

"I kinda lost my way. I was trying to head for the main street but was unable to find it." For some reason, there was an odd sparkle in her eyes.

"What a predicament! I'll take you there on my patrol" she said as she grabbed my hand and started to take off towards main street. "This way. Don't get separated from me, okay?"

The Imperial Arms doesn't seem too happy about her master grabbing someone else's hand and begin to throw a fit, which was kinda interesting to watch. "Say, do everyone in the Imperial Police have an Imperial Arms like him?" I asked.

"No. I am the only one with this relic. Coro, which is the name I gave him, only responded to me due to my passion for justice. No one else was compatible so the lower ranked ones were tested too. So now. He is my partner! Isn't that right, Coro?"

Coro gave an approving 'Kew', as if agreeing to what she had said. I was left bewildered as they stared at each other.

 **...**

I was taken back to the main street and parted ways with Seryu.

I was able to find my way back to the base without any mishap. The base was just another random building in the middle of the Silk District, a hub for merchants to do business. There are only two ways into the base. The building itself doesn't seem to attract attention and it blended well with the other buildings in the vicinity. It was a good location. Escape was easy should anything happen.

Walking in through the door, I called out. "Nice weather we have, huh?"

The front door to the building was closed immediately and some people started walking out. The password had worked. There was no need to report the outcome of the mission. Joker must have already done so.

I scanned the room. There are about 6 people in total, including me. Other than Joker and Hikari, there are still three other people. One of them, whom everyone calls Blade, was dressed like a priest, though he change his clothes when he is indoors. Another person was dressed like one of those elite soldiers from the Army. Everyone calls her Manic. She is the only female I have seen in this group. Of course, none of their actual name are known. It was like as if they never wanted anyone to know their names. The last person was dubbed by everyone as Juggernaut. He/She was always seen in a thick suit of armor and no one has ever seen his face. He (cause his voice sounds rough) does talk, but only says a few sentences, which is better than Joker, who doesn't even say a word.

Hikari had warned me to not dig into their pasts. Apparently, everyone in this room were victims of the Empire. Compared to me, they had it worse.

I recalled the events when I was trying to get back to base. I had told everyone how there was a person within the Imperial Police who had an Imperial Arm. Hikari did say he would investigate this.

Ending the conversation, I decided to head back to my designated room.

"How enviable" I whispered. It seems I didn't realise I have let out my thoughts. I hope no one heard that.

 **...**

Within the Palace, fear and panic was present.

"I have news to report. General Nakakido and General Hemi have defected to the Revolutionary Army." A messenger reported.

Everyone in the room was taken aback.

"General Nakakido was a brilliant strategist." Someone remarked.

"The Revolutionary Army is gaining power at an alarming rate. If we don't put a stop to this soon, the Empire woul-"

"Calm yourself. They remained encamped in the South and have yet made a move. We can deal with them anytime we want. Them gathering together would simply make it easier for them to be eliminated. Isn't that right, Prime Minister?" The child Emperor asked.

"You are wise, my lord. Once again, you are the voice of reason. Right now, we must focus on a more immediate threat. Night Raid. Captain Ogre of the Imperial Police, my relative Iokal, and even Zank the Executioner were all struck down by assassins. They even took one of our relics." Prime Minister Honest commented.

"What they are doing has caused me to worry more and the stress is doing terrible things to my weight. We shall call for General Esdeath to return. At the rate she is going, the North would be defeated within the next few months. Her presence would not be needed." Honest said.

 **...**

For the next few days, I was juggling my work, training and my position as an assassin. Seriously, it was hard work.

The mission I was tasked with wouldn't help to make things any easier. I have to investigate whether a certain noble has been having underhand deals. It was pretty boring as I have to wait for several hours shadowing the noble, and he have a couple of capable guards following him. Of course, nothing out of the ordinary happened. I was about to leave the area when something hit me. Not literally. But something caught my attention.

Bloodlust. It was felt even from where I am. Just where is this coming from, and who is capable of releasing it at such intensity? Had I not experienced combat, I would be suffocating right now. Someone or something dangerous is nearby. I want to avoid meeting this person or thing. However, gunshots were heard nearby. It turns out this bloodlust was not targeted at me.

I won't fight. I'm just going to check things out. It isn't everyday I get to see some action in the Capital. This is a good opportunity to learn more about this world. I ran at full speed towards the direction where the bloodlust was emanating from.

 **""Interesting.""**

I ignored that comment. Lately, voices have been popping up more frequently in my head. At first it was weird. However, as time goes on, I got used to it.

Arriving at the scene, I was greeted by an intense fight. Pulling a hood over my head to prevent myself from being recognized, I watched from among the trees, which provided ample amount of cover to hide myself from their view. It was a typical 2 on 2 match, although on one side it was a thing and girl pair. I recognize that girl. Seryu Ubiquitous. Then the giant thing must be Coro. What a monster. It looked like a perfect portrait of some weird creature that existed in the dreams of children's nightmares. Seriously, what kind of thing was it anyway.

Pushing that question aside, I watched the battle intently. This isn't something that I will see everyday. How will they fight, what kind of strategies will they use?

* * *

 **Rewrite completed for this chapter.**

 **Okay, I have to admit, I screwed up a lot. I revised and review all of my chapter and found an inconsistency that would occur in the future chapters. So I am now contemplating. Should I stick to the initial idea or should I just roll with whatever my head conjured.**

 **Well, while I contemplate, enjoy my current chapters. I may change a lot of the details of the next chapter. Don't worry. It won't affect the rate of plot progression. The stories have more or less set in stone. I already decided what is gonna happen from the next few chapters to the last chapter. I can already see how this should go. Other than some additional details, everything is going pretty well. One more thing. The main girl is not set in stone. This is the only thing I can't decide. Who should take up this position. Hmmmmmmmm. How about this. Once Tatsumi met all of the candidates in the story, I'll decide who is the main girl. This is only fair.**

 **Okay. I ranted too much. Let's just go to the next rewrite chapter.**

 **Thank you and have a good day.**


	13. Chapter 13: Armor of Black VIII

**There are quite a lot of things to say so I would try my best to condense it.**

 **First off, I will answer some of the reviews I received.**

 **To silver7875: I will put the picture of how the armor looks like once I find something I had in mind. For now, I have requested one of my friends to draw it out for me.**

 **To swiftyfox007: Thank you! I will continue to try my best.**

 **To ninjafang1331: Thank you for your compliments.**

 **To J.f.w: Thank you for the Teigu and the ship advice. It helped me a lot. About why I did not describe the new OCs yet, I can only say that I had initially planned to not describe them as I wanted to put it in the next story I would be working on ( which is this story's prequel ) but changed my mind when I found out that this may cause certain complications in the next few chapters. Your comment to have someone date him has also been heard. Will not spoil for now. :)**

 **To DragonMaster128: Thank you! It really cheered me up back then to know people are looking forward to my next chapter.**

 **To PrincessOfTheNight01, IHaveNoSkill, Blitz and some anonymous people: Thank you for putting in your ship suggestion. Although it just makes me indecisive, I will try to remember what you guys had wanted as I continue writing.**

 **Ok moving onto the next topic**

 *** Looks at the papers in my hand ***

 **Next is...errrr some kind of serious announcement. Well, I was playing my game in my room one day only to find out I had been killed within the game, losing everything. The moment I was killed and without anytime to grieve over my loss, my mom walked in and without any warning said that my results are lacking and that I should actually start studying. Then I woke up.**

 **But seriously though, I have triggered a death flag and now I have to study for the rest of the year. I may not be updating the chapters as frequent anymore. So I may post once a month. However to make up for this, I will start to extend my chapters, like from the usual 1000-2000+ words, I may double its content and length. I will also start to kick start the series of events the moment Esdeath enters the picture. I gonna put in some characters from the manga into this story. People like * search through the manga * Pais, Air, Fal, Luna etc. ( no idea why the people i named are all girls ) and I am definitely expanding on the Wild Hunt arc, but that comes at...idk Chapter 50?**

 **Ok the ship is another big problem. I had even considered making different endings for each of the heroine but decided against it due to ...errr... various reasons. I will also be writing off the characters I have created after hitting a checkpoint. Basically, I am gonna break Tatsumi more, to the extent he can't handle it and goes insane. Then my objective would be met and then th-**

 *** My editor cover his hands over my mouth***

 **I have a editor now! YEAH! I extorted two of my friends to sell their soul to me *evil laughter * so now they are gonna help me with this story. One works on the plot for future chapters while the other edits my mistakes and makes it more interesting through elaborating. On their suggestion, I changed my writing style. Now I will also add in the first person mode. I may alternate from third person to first person but I will make sure you guys know when I am writing in third person.**

 **OK I have rambled too much, Let's get started.**

* * *

 _Volume 1: Chapter 13: Armor of Black VIII_

I continue to stay on the branch of the tree. Eventually I sat down on it, of course, after I have ensured that I wasn't targeted by anyone in the area, not like there was anyone in the first place. Other than the three girls and the large (I don't know) thing, which I happened to have seen it before. An biological Imperial Arm that is capable of thought. It was on a police officer that had helped me previously. She had called it Coro.

I wonder if there is an Imperial Arm out there that is compatible with me.

That voice once again echoed in my mind. I tried clearing my mind to grasp what was said. There were countless screams, but I was unable to catch any important words. This has been happening to me a lot lately and the frequencies of these picked up ever since the battle with Zank. Whatever he did to me, it still has not wear out.

One of the people I recognise was from the wanted posters. Sheele. There was also an unknown person, dressed in pink, with pink hair tied into twin tails and a gun in her hands. Of course, since she was seen with Sheele of Night Raid, she is bound to be affiliated to Night Raid in some way.

Whatever. For now, I shall focus on the battle before me. A 2 on 2 match. Seryu and Coro against Sheele and the pink girl. Blood lust was in the air. It was so thick that I may even have trouble dispelling it in my mind. The shocking thing is that most of it came from Seryu. She has this creepy smile on her face throughout the fight.

On the battlefield, Sheele is currently stalking towards Seryu, trying to kill her, obviously. There was a dust cloud behind her and from within it, something big stood up. Coro stood behind her with a cut at his jaw, through it's mouth. As if it was magic, the wound began to decrease in size with the red fluid resembling blood which poured from the wound receding back to it. The wound closed and disappeared within a few seconds. Sheele looked at it in apparent shock. Coro let out a menacing roar and had wanted to make a move. However the pink girl behind it fired a shot at it.

Perhaps it was because of the ammunition, the blast from the gun was pretty deadly. So deadly that even the giant sized Coro was knocked forwards. Had it not turned around and grabbed onto the ground, it would have been sent flying. There was a gaping hole at the thing's stomach but it healed after a few seconds.

"Don't you remember the documents? Living Relics have a core in it's body. Unless you destroy that, the thing would keep healing. Not even Akame's Murasame would work on an opponent without a heart." the pink girl said. Since we were the only ones here, I was able to hear their conversations clearly. My interest was piqued. There was a book somewhere out there which recorded the Imperial Arms in existence. This book may help me find an Imperial Arm that I can use. However, that is secondary. If there is one around, there should be more.

"Coro, arms." Seryu said. She hasn't moved an inch since I have arrived to watch. Continuing to be on guard, I watched the battle continue. Coro now has arms. Yup, it just got weird. The thing initially had something that looked like flippers as it's hands. Once Seryu gave the command, those flippers transformed into hands. One the arms are formed, it rushed towards the duo.

Sheele, who uses a large scissor as her weapon, rushed in front of her teammate and used the scissor to block against a flurry of punches made by Coro. I could see that Sheele was struggling to block all of the punches. Looks like Coro possesses incredible strength.

A whistle sounded. I looked towards the source. Seryu has a whistle in her hand. Reinforcement are expected to arrive within the next few minutes. This was an exciting fight, but now that there are more people on the way, I better get on my way or else I may also be caught up in this.

The pink girl fired at Coro again. This time, the power was even greater than the previous. Seriously, how did she do that? Maybe the gun was an Imperial Arm. That would explain the ridiculous amount of power that was outputted.

I stood up from where I was. Staying any further would result in me getting caught. I turned to leave, when a bright light blinded my vision. When the light faded, I was seeing stars. Everything was shining in my eyes. I reached for the tree trunk to regain my sense of balance. When the stars cleared, I squinted my eyes to see my surroundings better.

That was when I saw it. Even if it was for a moment, I saw it. Something drop out of Seryu's pockets as she was knocked into the fountain caused by a series of blows from Sheele. A necklace. It jumped off the branch I stood on and landed on the floor a few meters away from where I was. Something in my mind had snapped. My face lost all of its usual emotion and there was only one things on my mind.

Mother. Maybe the necklace just happened to look like hers, but I know better. The necklace that mother has was one of its kind. Father had custom-made it to commemorate their anniversary, claiming it was more special and romantic. I jumped down from where I was and slowly walked towards it. The hood covered my face so none of the people fighting would be able to recognize me. I kept walking towards it. The voice in my mind had now stopped screaming and now were murmuring.

Hate, Kill, Death, Vengeance, Power.

These were the words that were murmured but I continued to ignore it. They were replaced with burning questions. I bent down and picked up the necklace. Someone yelled at me to get away, but I ignored it. My mind, despite being filled with the voice constantly murmuring, only had one question. Why was mother's necklace here, of all places. All sorts of scenarios popped into my head. Some were that she was mugged, others were... not as nice. My breathing became labored, it was getting hard to breathe.

I screamed. Tears were flowing out of my eyes and I was unable to stop it. There was a heat rising in my chest. I stopped and stared at Seryu. The girls have stopped fighting and were now looking at me. I drew my blade and charged towards Seryu. Once close, I pointed the tip of my blade at her throat. Answers. I need answers.

"Where did you get this necklace?" I asked, showing the necklace to her.

"It was given to me by one of my superior." She said. Apparently she did not recognize who I was, yet. However, I couldn't care less. I wanted to ask more but something tackled into me from behind. I glanced back to see Coro, who had threw Sheele aside and charged into me. My reactions were not fast enough and I flew forwards. My body went limp and my body knocked away from Seryu to the ground with a 'thud'.

I was now facing the sky. Dark clouds were present. I ordered my body to move but nothing happened. I kept struggling but my efforts bore no fruit.

So this is where I die. Alone, with no one around to help me, and unable to accomplish my dreams anymore. I smirked. What a pathetic ending, fitting for a loser like me. The voices in my head have now stopped talking and I have regained the peace of my mind.

 **"Are you sure you are satisfied with this ending."**

I darted my eyes to the left and to the right. There was nothing around me but an angered Coro, who is still a few feet away from me. However, the distance between us is closing.

"Not like this. I would not be satisfied with this. If fate is my enemy, then I would just have to kill it." I internally chuckled in my mind. What am I saying? I must have been completely mad now.

 **"If I gave you power, what would you use it for?"**

"I will use it to do whatever I want." I said after thinking hard. My life flashed before me. Time spent with my parents, moments I spent with Sayo and Ieyasu, the care and concern that the village have shown me. Everything flashed before my eyes. I felt like I was being guided through a tunnel. At the end was a dark void. Before I reached it, something spoke up again.

 **"I look forward to the show you will be putting up."**

The next moment, darkness surrounded me and I lost consciousness. The pain slowly disappearing with each second.

 **...**  
 _  
A few minutes earlier  
_  
It took me a few seconds to process what had happened. Someone walked into the battlefield. He seemed particularly upset about something which he picked up from the ground. The next thing that happened was that he suddenly disappeared and reappeared before Seryu, attempting to question her.

What made me uneasy was his speed. This person was definitely not a civilian. He possesses incredible speed, maybe even rivaling Akame. Of course, the disgusting monster that I was fighting must have sensed its owner in danger, for it abandoned the fight with me and charged towards this unknown person. Of course, maybe this guy was an amateur, for he was tackled and landed a good several meters away from where he was originally. The monster walked towards him, attempting to finish him off. I winced as the living relic fed on him. The chewing of his flesh and the breaking of bones using sheer force resonated throughout the plaza where we were in. I felt uneasy. When it had finished what it wanted to do, the monster focused its attention back on us.

Footsteps echoed through the night. Reinforcement has arrived. Our route of escape was cut off and adding in the Teigu user, we are at a disadvantage. I started to dart towards the forest.

An explosion sounded, stopping the reinforcement in their tracks. Everyone, including Sheele and me turned to the source. Coro is now covered in blue flames. The relic fell to the ground with a gaping hole in its body. Something stood up from the mess. A knight, covered in black armor. There were some cracks on the armor it was wearing. Blue flame burned within the cracks.

The knight let out a loud inhuman roar. The members of the Imperial Police remained at where they were standing. None of them made a move and kept staring at the knight in instinctive fear. A region of space that looked like it was burnt appeared beside the knight. He reached into that region and pulled out a sword of the same color as its armor. The only difference was that there are purple veins running from the hilt of the sword to the tip of the blade.

It charged towards the closest person and slashed him down. The more experienced ones would be able to last a few seconds longer than the other. Some were capable of blocking, but perhaps due to the overwhelming strength that the knight possess, all their defences had no ue. It attacked everyone it sees. Even Sheele and me were no exception and we tried our best to survive. Some of the members of the Imperial Police that were cut down bled to death. Seryu tried her best to attack it but none of their attacks even put a scratch on the armor, despite the armor already having cracks. Fear spread like wildfire within their ranks.

I had wanted to help but thought otherwise. We would be cornered if Pumpkin overheated. If that happens, I would not be able to help Sheele.

At present moment, the living relic is wrestling with the knight. even though it towered over the knight, it still experienced difficulty in trying to overpower him. The knight pushed the relic back with a strength that sent it flying. Not giving the relic any chance to recover, it charged towards where it think the relic would land. Once it reached, it jumped and slashed at the relic. It kept slashing and slashing. Even when it's limbs were cut off, it continued slashing, showing no signs of stopping. It kept going even when the two have landed on the ground. Gunshots were heard but since the armor was tough, none of it actually damaged the person within it. The knight was now angered. It slowly walked towards the nearest person he sees. The person stood in fear and continued to helplessly shoot at the knight, which did not seem to faze it. His misery was short-lived as he was given a swift death. His head fell to the ground, followed by the body a few seconds later. A black substance hovered over the bodies and consumed the bodies a few moments later. Something unexpected happened.

The corpses starts standing up, and their flesh were burnt off, leaving behind their skeleton. Even the headless corpse stood up and picked up its skull. Their clothes were still intact. Once all of their flesh were burnt off, they charged started attacking whoever was left. Us included. The knight continue to attack the officers and soon, the half of the reinforcement was wiped out. The rest were either scared or running away. However, the knight continued to kill indiscriminately. Anything it sees would be killed. The skeleton would provide support by either blocking off escape routes or just killing people themselves, which seemed unnecessary since the knight was practically invincible.

The living relic would often try to engage with the knight but would be sliced apart every time it does. Finally, the knight turned its attention to us. It charged forwards, with his sword ready. Sheele rushed forwards to receive him but due to the different in strength, she was knocked back. Before she recovered from the knock back, the knight was upon her. I raised my gun and aimed at him. Pumpkin charged for a moment before it fired a beam of energy. The beam hit the sword in its downward motion and went out of course. Eyeing the opening, Sheele rushed forwards and tried to cut the armor using Extase.

Checkmate. Extase, Sheele's Imperial Arm is able to cut anything in creation. That armor of his was no exception. The scissor caught onto the gauntlet of the knight and cracked. However, the flesh underneath the armor was undamaged as the knight pulled away before Extase could cut the arm off. A gunshot sounded but Sheele blocked it with her weapon.

I charged up Pumpkin and fired towards one of the skeletons. It didn't bother to move even when I fired. The result was that it had turned to dust. Seryu was still present and together with her relic, attacked the knight. The relic charged at the knight while Seryu would punch the armor in an attempt to break it. Both were pushed back, signalling a futile attempt.

Strings shot out from beside me towards the knight. The first thing that popped into my head was that we are saved.

I turned around, hoping to see Lubbock behind me. However, I was met with an unfamiliar face. Fear once again took over me. The person who I thought would be Lubbock was actually a guy with white hair. He was wearing a black coat. Strings came out of the gauntlet in his right hand. He continue to walk forwards and past us, not even sparing us a glance. Just who does he think he is trying to act all powerful and all. I remembered what Leone had reported a few days ago. Man with white hair and wearing a black coat. Seems strong and could be the one taking our missions. She said that this guys is strong, but I beg to differ. The white haired man continue walking towards the knight. He stopped and soon, strings begin to pour out of his gauntlet. The strings found themselves in the bodies of some of the remaining police officers who weren't turned into skeletons. The corpses moved and stood up. This time, nothing happened to the flesh. The corpses charged towards the skeletons. The white hair guy started to run towards the knight.

The knight let out another roar. This time, it was louder than the previous, like as if he was mad. The next few moments ended quickly. The walking corpses were disposed of by the skeletons due to the difference in numbers. The white haired guy rushed forwards with incredible speed and landed consecutive punch on the breastplate of the knight. The cracks on the breastplate spread throughout the armor before the pieces fell off, exposing the blue flame and it's intense heat. Seeing his chance, he proceeded to use his strings to wrap the person inside the armor with strings. It seems his strings were not flammable.

Sheele approached me at this point.

"We need to run right now while everyone is distracted." Eyeing this good opportunity, I motioned to Sheele to run and eventually, made our escape.

 **...**

We arrived back at base an hour later. It had rained when we were making our way back. When we arrived at the door of the base, we were soaking wet. There goes the fancy dress that I bought. We walked into the base, only to find the uneasy faces of everyone seated at the table. Those faces changed into one of relief upon landing their eyes on Sheele and me.

"Thank goodness you are safe" Akame exclaimed.

"You guys took too long on your mission so we began to get worried." Leone added.

"Did something happen?" Najenda asked.

For the next few moments, I gave a quick summary of what went down. All the while, everyone had their serious face on. When I had finished, Najenda remained silent. We waited for a few moments but nothing happened. I began to grow impatient. She finally spoke up, and it wasn't what any of us expect.

"For the next few days, I want everyone to search for the "Black Knight " and the white haired individual. We are putting every mission we have on hold until he has been found. Everyone who have their names on wanted posters would search in the Capital during the night and those who doesn't shall search during the day. When you find him, kill him. It would be best if you are able to subdue them."

There are rumors that Esdeath has been summoned back to the Capital to deal with us. Since we still have a few days until that happens, it is wise to take care of the problem that we currently face. Perhaps Najenda determine Those two to be dangerous.

 **…**

Atop a cliff, which overlooks the Capital, stood a dragon. It is one of the A-class Danger Beast which could easily destroy villages. However, it made no move to satisfy it's always destructive desires. Someone sat on the dragon, with a chain in her hand. Dressed in white while the other three behind her wore cloaks. All of them stared at the Capital. Blue hair danced with the wind. A smile formed on the face of the person in white.

"Good to see you again, Imperial Capital."

* * *

 **Rewrite for this chapter is completed. One more chapter to go before I will officially post Chapter 15.**

 **Okay. I have been. It's not everyday I have to travel overseas during the holidays. But yet it came to me during this period of time. So I have spent two weeks in a relative's house. The worse thing is they don't have wifi. The only time I can go online is when I go to another relative's house. I apologise to my readers for such a long wait.**

 **So the p.o.v changed from Tatsumi to Mine to Third Person.**

 **Let me give a summary of this chapter. This chapter shows Tatsumi's Imperial Arm once again, and as usual, he has no control of it. It was expected since he never knew he had it in the first place. Hikari has to come and save him from going rampage. This is the 8th chapter of the second arc and the concluding chapter for the second arc. The end of the third arc is when Esdeath will be introduced to Tatsumi. Also the third arc would take up quite a bit of chapters so be warned. Chelsea and Susanoo would make an early appearance in the next arc.**

 **Just to be warned. I may make some of the canon characters out of character since I need them to take up specific positions in the story. Okay, things have been fun. Lemme go take a break before working on chapter 14 and 15 concurrently.**

 **Leave me a review. I need them to improve and I can't do without them.**

 **Thank you and have a good day.**


	14. Chapter 14: Hunter or Hunted I

**I have managed to squeeze out a good amount of time in my soon gonna be busy schedule to write the next chapter for this. The next time I am gonna post another chapter would be around the end of year since my schedule involves a series of exams all put together and given only an average of one week to revise for each exam. So I apologize to anyone who hates waiting long periods of time for one chapter. To make it up to you guys, we decided to extend this chapter. Like a lot more.**

 **Also, Hikari is a guy.**

 **I may also change the name of this fanfic as I am the kind of guy that decides the name of something after I make it.**

 **Also, I have begin to work on the prequel. I will be uploading it when my exams are over, which is around late November. Will give more accurate details next time.**

 **This chapter may be confusing. Sorry in advance. Lets just say that I only write the parts where certain events occur. If nothing is gonna happen, I won't touch on it unless it is a special bonus chapter. Also, I now face an even more grave problem. I have no plans for Air, Fal and Luna. Like they don't play a significant part in the entire story. I can't see them as being assassins and I definitely don't want them to die. Give me your suggestions.**

 **Okay let's get started.**

* * *

 _Volume 2: Chapter 1: Hunter or Hunted I_

Damn it.

I admit, I screwed up. I should have kept Tatsumi under close supervision upon knowing he had a Imperial Arm that he had no knowledge about and had no control over. Now his actions have finally caught the attention of the Capital, or rather, the officials. Sooner or later this piece of news would spread to the higher-ups and it won't be long before people start investigating this case. There are already witnesses, which I failed to kill since reinforcements are already on their way.

The worst case scenario, we would be hunted by both the Revolutionary Army and the Empire. The best case scenario would be that they are at least able to avoid detection for some time. This would be wishful thinking. Rumors of Esdeath's return has spread throughout the Capital. If this were to catch her attention, which probably will, everyone in Capital's team would have to move out of the Capital and station our base somewhere secluded, and maybe underground judging on her abilities. There was also talks of her starting a police force made up of Imperial Arms users from all over the Empire.

Preparations have to be made immediately. Time is of essence. One wrong move and we would all end up dead.

 **...  
**  
Darkness was the only thing around me. It had stayed this way for a while now.

My memory kicked in. Memories of me dying, killed by a biological Imperial Arm.

I had expected dying to mean that I would no longer be self-aware. What I am experiencing now is what I experience every time I was asleep. It felt no different. Floating in a black void until something anchors me and hoist me back to the world I was once in.

Faint greyish light flashed across my eyes. The scene before me looked like a battlefield. But where? Flags of both sides were raised as each side fought against the other. I recognise those flags. It was that battle.

The Civil War.

Roughly 500 years ago, a civil war broke out in the Empire. The reason of the civil war was not disclosed to the public, nor was the conclusion of the Civil War. It was a pretty well-known event, yet what happened was never known. I wonder if the Emperor of that time deliberately prevented the disclosure of this event due to his failure or was it for other reasons?

I watched intently the battlefield before me. In the middle of it was a person in a black suit of armor. What struck me was what he was doing. He stood in the middle of both armies. Both side has encircled him, preventing his escape. Yet both sides were having trouble taking him down.

He had no particular fighting style. It was as if he incorporated all of the fighting styles together and was using whatever there was that seemed convenient. His attacks were wild and lacked discipline. My mentor had described the various fighting styles he has seen in battles and classified them into specific categories. This person didn't fit in any of the categories. His fighting style were unusual and yet were effective and efficient.

The numbers dwindled and eventually, both sides forced to retreat.

The rest of the dream showed the black knight chasing them and killing them every time he got close. Eventually the same nothingness from before took over. I kept drifting around until I felt my body being tugged and light begin to pour into the void I was in.

I woke up to the world that I was in. Alive.

 **...**

{Leone's Perspective}(To avoid confusion)

I prowled the streets, trying to find someone I saw that day or with white hair. Occasionally, I would bump into someone with white hair, but none of them were who I was looking for. This is starting to get boring.

I know that I have seen the white-haired man before. Somewhere, but I don't know where. Well, dwelling on it would be useless. I eyed a bar in the corner of my eyes. Looks like it is time for me to take a quick break. I don't think Boss would mind, right? After all, I'm still doing my job properly.

Opening the door to the bar, I walked in and ordered some beer, accompanied by some food. Chugging down the beer, I begin to enjoy myself. Once I had my fill, I will return to what I was doing. After all, I can't work on an empty stomach.

 **...**

{Lubbock's Perspective}

I sat behind the counter, reading some of the novels that were in the store. I had wanted to go hunting for the person like everyone else but was unable to because I have a bookstore to look after. I could just close the store but that can wait. Some of the regular customers to my store are nobles, which carries information. Valuable information. If I can get that out of them, I may be able to find this mystery person that have Miss Najenda worked up over.

Maybe she will even praise me when I find him. That would be nice. No, that would be perfect.

However, we must still exercise caution. It has been quite a while since I have seen Miss Najenda so worked up. Even during the days where she worked as a General in the Imperial Army, she had never shown such behaviour. She was always calm and collected. Though with our current situation, I won't be surprised. Esdeath has returned and rumor has it that she was called back specifically to deal with us. She is very troublesome to deal with. Touted as the Empire's Strongest. She alone can wipe out an entire army all by herself. Not to mention she also brought along her three demon generals. Add that with powerful people with unknown affiliations and even someone who has never panicked in their life would start to do so.

Something big is about to happen, and I sure hope we can make it through unscathed.

 **...**

"General Esdeath, your victory over the northern race was outstanding. As expected as the Empire's Strongest General. We have prepared ten thousand gold pieces as your reward." the Child Emperor announced.

Esdeath knelt before the child Emperor.

"Thank you. I shall send them to the soldiers that I have left in the North. I am sure they would be very happy upon receiving such a reward."

The Prime Minister, Honest internally chuckled. Esdeath has no interest in authority or politics whatsoever. She lives for the sole purpose of fighting and conquering the enemy. Thus, he lets her do whatever she pleases while he rule the country from the shadows. A win-win situation.

"Now that I have returned, I shall begin my task of eliminating Night Raid, a thorn in your majesty's side. I shall begin my work immediately." Esdeath stated.

"Should you succeed, mere gold would not be able to repay. Is there any kind of reward that you would want?"

Esdeath thought for a moment before speaking. "If I may, I was thinking of falling in love."

A deafening silence followed. For a few moments, everyone was frozen in shock, including Esdeath's Three Demon Generals.

Esdeath, a sadistic person who only cares about her personal enjoyment, was talking about falling in love. This is absurd. No one would have imagine that such a heartless monster like her would be trying to find love.

"I see. Indeed, you have reached a certain age and yet is still unmarried. Allow me to offer some suggestions." The Emperor spoke, in a desperate attempt to end the awkward silence.

Esdeath interrupted him before he was about to begin his next sentence. "I have very specific standards. There are likely many who would not fit in my criteria. I shall note down my preferences and present them to you in due course."

 **...**

My head is aching in pain, but nonetheless proves that I am alive. Even though I could have sworn I had died back then during the fight. Perhaps they spared my life?

I tried my best to get up from the bed. My body is aching. It feels like I was crushed by a carriage or something. I looked around. I was no longer in Hikari's house. I was in a room at base. It is actually disguised as a crafts shop. I tried my best to stand. For several moments, my legs refused to obey the orders made by my mind. Slowly, I felt the feeling of control back in my legs. No, something felt different. Like as if I possess more strength than usual. Perhaps this is the result of my training?

I walk out of the room I was resting in. I was greeted by the usual members that lurk within the building during the day. From my point of view, the only ones who actually go outside during the day are me, Hikari and Manic. Manic, a woman with black hair and Purple eyes. Her looks give the vibe that she doesn't seem to take anything seriously. She is friendly but what intrigues me is why people call her Manic.

Blade is always in his room making things. He seldom come outside of the room unless it was for the purpose of missions or resource gathering. He had short light blue hair. The only feature that stands out on him is his ahoge. He seldom talks, unless required to. Hikari did mentioned that he was a prodigy. He can make almost anything and was able to wield a sword efficiently even though he had never received sword in his entire life. Hikari did mention that his family was once a noble. Since we need income to fund our daily necessities, our shop provides service in the form of crafting things that can't be found anywhere else. Custom-crafting, or also known as a speciality shop. We don't mass-produce what we craft and simply make them when the order for it arrives. Blade and Joker and even Hikari are in charge of crafting while the others would be in charge of gathering resources, though Blade also helps to design and do the other steps requires.

Juggernaut is always in the gym, training his strength. He/She would always be seen with heavy armor. I have never seen his/her real appearance underneath the armor. I did ask around but apparently, no one has ever seen him/her out of the armor. The armor is also pretty special. It is impenetrable, according to Blade. He said that the armor is his pride. It is made with mithril, the most stable and hardest alloy and that nothing the Empire currently has can through it, unless it is an Imperial Arm. Even if a person with an Imperial Arm were to try to cut it, he would still have a hard time doing so. Blade even assured it, saying that he was a genius. Juggernaut also seldom speaks. His answers are usual summarised into one or two words.

Joker is in the lounge reading a book. He wears a mask, covering his entire face. He has never taken off his mask ever since I was inducted into the group. He never talks and always play pranks on everyone, though I am mostly the victim of his pranks. He does change his clothes, but usually dons a suit and tie during missions, the ones that nobles often wear to attend parties or social gatherings.

I walked to the kitchen to try to quell my hunger. It was morning and the only thing I found in the fridge was eggs. I need more ingredients but my body is already at its limit of hunger.

Thankfully, Manic came back with groceries and a fulfilling breakfast was served.

Hikari intercepted me on my way to training and announced to everyone that he will be hosting a game to know each other better. A War Game was what he called it.

Rules, which he explained, was simple. Everyone is to fight against each other in the forest west of the Capital. Free for all, no teams and the only way to win is to snatch a scroll that everyone will be carrying. Even if your scroll is taken, you can still win by getting it back. The game starts when night falls and ends at dawn. We are to assemble at a clearing at the forest before and after the event.

That means that there is still a good few hours for me to roam about the Capital, and since I had no need to work today, giving me a full day to enjoy myself.

Oddly, for some reason, ever since I had woke up from my sleep, my body was craving to go outside, or at least I feel like going outside. It was hard to explain. Let's just say that I want to go outside because my instincts say so.

After acknowledging what Hikari had said, I rushed out of the door. The back of my collar was tugged suddenly. I turned around to find Manic tugging at my jacket, preventing me from moving even one step forwards.

"Hey, Tatsumi. Accompany me around the Capital for today. If you do, I will show you around. " She emphasized a bit on the last part, suggesting she wanted to do something else. Her attempts to tease me was unsuccessful. I had known for the longest of times that nothing good comes out of acting on one's lust, at least that was what my mentor had said. He would tell us stories during camping trips of the times he spent at brothels. We never got to hear the entire story though. Sayo would always knock Ieyasu unconscious and cover my ears while blushing before our mentor got to the interesting parts. Now that I think about it, she acted very much like our mother.

My heartstrings were once again tugged, and it was pretty painful. How I was responsible for their deaths and how I could have saved them. These questions were always on my mind when I think about them.

Okay, enough reminiscing.

"Sure, why not. It's not like I have places to go." I replied monotonously. Her expression changed to one of happiness.

Ever since the death of my friends, I found myself emotionless every time I stare at myself in the mirror. Perhaps their deaths was always on my mind, causing me to neglect showing emotions.

"Give me a few minutes to get ready." she said as she ran inside.

 **...**

Three figures knelt before Esdeath.

"I have new directives for the three of you." Esdeath announced. "Do this well. Failure would not be tolerated, especially from the three of you."

"As you command." The person in the middle said.

"We are your loyal servants." A small boy replied.

"We will accept your orders at any time!" the last one replied.

"Very well."

 **...**

There is still about 10 more hours till night falls. Until then, I have to acquire some meat to satisfy my hunger.

Head-hunting. In the field of assassination, it implies me having to bring the head of my target back to whoever wants it. This was one of the mission type issued when I was still under the Empire. Even though I was ordered to do so by others, I never felt good doing so. I was always ordered to hunt for "criminals", however ever since Boss convinced me to defect to the Revolutionary Army, this kind of job happened less often than before, almost to the point of non-existent. Now, such a job has emerged once again. For some reason, Boss seem anxious about this particular white-haired boy, even going as far as bring his head back to ensure his death. Normally, she would have wanted us to try to convince powerful individuals to join our cause. This time was really different. She must have a grudge on him or something.

We were all briefed about what to search for during the hunt. We were to look out for either the white-haired guy, a group of oddly dressed people or the knight in black. The last one actually surprised me. Of all the years being in the Capital, there was never an incident which involved a black knight. There was also no reports from the cities and villages about it. It was like as if the person appeared out of nowhere.

I took out Murasame and begin to do the maintenance for it. There is still some time left. I have to be patient.

 **...**

I was basically asked to carry everything she buys. I can see why she needed help, but the only thing that I did not get was why I was made to carry everything. Several times I had wanted to complain to her about it, but dismissed that notion. Complaining just because I lacked strength would not make me look good in the eyes of onlookers.

"Are you done yet?" I asked for the eighth time that day.

"Yeah, give me another five minutes." This is the fifth time she said this sentence at this store. I am starting to grow impatient.

Strange. I was not expected anywhere, so why am I getting impatient? With this question in mind, I kept waiting until Manic was finished. Even though it took a while, she eventually came out. The last stop was at a weapons shop.

"As thanks for helping me, I will give you treat." She ordered ice-cream for both of us. I sat down at some benches we saw along the way and enjoyed the ice-cream.

However, my body is still acting weird. It is restless, like as if it wants something. It isn't sexual, that's for sure. It felt weird, but I only have to put up with it, which became increasingly hard by the minute. The feeling has been intensified ever since I left the base. Out of the corner of my mind, I noticed a person leading three girls into a building. Even though it looks as though they were master and servants, something felt off. For some reason, I was attracted towards the man, and I wasn't in a romantic way. Manic has went to get a second helping of the ice-cream. I wanted to tell her that I am going somewhere for a while.

That was when my body froze. I lost control of my body. I tried to move my legs or even my hands but it didn't work. Each one of my muscle refused to listen to the commands that my mind gave. After a few seconds, my body began to move, and towards the direction where I last saw the master and his servants.

To everyone else, I am simply walking towards a certain destination I have in mind, but to me, my body is actually moving on its own, going against my wishes of stopping. My mind was in a state of panic. What's going on?What is happening to me? Is someone controlling me? Is it Hikari? Where am I going?

Even though I can't control my body, I still have my five senses intact. I can still feel the pressure the ground exerts on me as I walk. I also feel not pain in any part of my body. Hikari may have shown me that his Imperial Arm need his strings to be stabbed into a person before he can control a person's body. At present moment, my body was walking forwards, towards a specific building. My hands were brought up and I can feel myself pushing against the door upon reaching the entrance. This is a very weird feeling. Like doing something that you aren't actually doing. (Sounds weird but you get the point)

Of course, the door did not budge. I could feel my body trying again. The same result was obtained. It kept trying. After a while, my body grew impatient. (Again, this sounds weird) It begin to push even harder and the force increases with each try. Finally, a punch was thrown towards the door. The hinge of the door snapped apart and the door flew inwards into the room.

I wanted to scream in pain, but was unable to. I couldn't even open my mouth. The pain I have felt, for the first time, was immense. I could have sworn the bones in my finger was broken, but it wasn't. It was just very painful. All eyes in the room were placed on me. Turns out, there was more people than I had expected. The killing intent was clearly expressed on their faces. There were some with looks of disbelief and others with looks of mild fear. Some of them held the three girl in an attempt to prevent them from escape. The girls had faces of shock, like as if they were betrayed or something.

My mind went into overdrive. This is not good. I assessed the situation before me. One, I can't control my body. Two, I am going to fight a fight against people with weapons, unarmed. Three, I have no idea how whoever controlling me fights. Worse case scenario, I might die here without being able to save myself. Either from the pain or from the people inside. My body walked in. Luckily for me, none of them made a move to attack me. My body continues walking inside, towards the center of the room. My body then proceeded to do something weird. I stretched out my hands and not long after, something black flowed out of everyone in the room, except for the three girls. It flowed into my palm and sinked into the flesh. I feel comfortable suddenly, all of the unease that I had previously were dispelled. The craving from my body had subsided and before long, I regained control of my body. All was fine for a while until I felt numb in every inch of my body. Well, I can still move but there was this slight pins-and-needles kind of pain all over my body, which messes up my sense of touch. The people in the room now recovered from whatever that have just happened and approached me cautiously. I pretended to look threatening, trying to buy time for my recovery. It didn't work, as one of them became anxious and charged at me, all the while mumbling something about not wanting to die. I tried my best to dodge, which was successful but the numbness has yet to go away. The guy turn around to try again, only to be stopped by the sound of shattering glass. A person jumped through the window. I turned around to find Manic.

 **...**

{Air's Perspective}

 _A Few Hours Ago_

We arrived in the Capital in a horse-driven wagon. Of course, the sight of the Capital astonished us. We had been sold off by our village to the Capital due to the heavy taxes. Of course, the elders in the village had connections and ensured that we were sold to a good master.

Bach. That was his name. When we had first met him, I had thought he was nice. However, Fal had her suspicions about him. He was too nice, like as if he was expecting something to happen. Luna and I didn't really thought much of it, since Fal is always untrusting of others

He took us shopping, saying that our clothes were too rural-looking. All went well, until lunch. It was when we were inside a restaurant, about to enjoy our lunch when he revealed his true intentions. With a couple of guards surrounding our table.

Fal tried to protect us but her skills are just not enough. They were about to break her legs when the door to the restaurant burst open, literally. We all watch as a teenager with brown hair walked in. No one stopped him and just watch him. He walked towards the centre of the crowd. Something black flowed out from everyone in the room, except for Fal, Luna and me. Fear spread across everyone's faces. Someone tried to attack him, but he merely dodged it. Then, someone burst through the windows.

Not giving anyone inside any time to react, the person ran towards the one closest to her and delivered a punch to his stomach. She went towards another and kicked him towards Bach, who was trying to escape. Even the three nobles who had wanted to torture us were not allowed to leave. Everyone who were caught in her punches were sent towards the walls. Something cracked when they hit the wall, and it wasn't the wall. Everyone was swiftly dispatched. All were taken down with either punches or kicks to their bodies, leaving them immobilized or dead.

"Tatsumi! Are you still alive?" She yelled in concern.

"No, I'm dead. So just stop yelling. You are gonna attract attention." the brown-haired boy remarked.

The three of us looked at them with curious eyes.

"Thank you for saving us." I blurted out. Both of them turned to look at me.

"There is no need to thank us." the girl said. "I was only chasing after this guy over here."

The guy had a neutral emotionless look on his face, like as if he was thinking.

"So, what were you three doing with a bunch of guys? Don't tell me..." the girl asked with a mischievous expression. I know where this is leading to and what she was implying. If I could see my face now, it would be beet red. The same could be said about my other two friends.

I looked towards the only male in the room. He still had that neutral expression, the only difference this time was that he had his head tilted, as if he was wondering what is going on.

The embarrassment faded after some time.

"Okay, now that everything here has been taken care of, let's go somewhere else. Tatsumi, my things are still at those benches. If you lose any of them, I will kill you." her tone changed at the last sentence. The boy immediately pushed himself off the ground and ran out of the door.

"Come on, let's go. Staying here is no longer safe."

We were brought to a random building in the middle of Silk District.

"You can stay here, on the condition you don't mess the place up. If you are able to do that, I'm sure the others won't mind you girls. " she said. " Everyone here calls me Manic. If you meet any trouble, just tell me and I'll help." She gave us a smile.

"My name is Air." I said.

"Luna"

"My name's Fal!"

We were each assigned rooms to live in and we spent the rest of the day arranging our rooms.

 **...**

Thankfully, none of the things Manic bought went missing. If it did, I would have been dead meat. I have yet to see Manic angry before, and I hope to never see it. The amount of killing intent just now was immense, and it just appeared out of nowhere, which overwhelmed me for a second. That amount was just like when I met Hikari for the first time.

My mind wandered back to what had happened back then. This experience was a first. Having your body move on its own without you moving it. There are a few possibilities on what went down. It could either be someone using an Imperial Arm to take over my body, or I have been possessed by spirits, which occult groups claim. Another question would be what was the black particles that came out of everyone. They didn't seem to harm or tire me in any way and surprisingly, I felt refreshed, like as if I had more energy to spare.

Something weird is definitely happening to me. I better figure out what was done to me and quickly, or I would be caught by surprise the next time it happens. This should definitely be kept secret from everyone else. Those three girls are the only surviving witness, so I can only hope they won't spill what happened. If they reveal this, I would need to come up with an excuse, which doesn't seem to effective in any way.

For now, I should pay careful attention to the fighting styles of the other members of the group. From what I had gathered, Hikari fights with the element of surprise in his favour. His strings are troublesome. Manic seem to have a large amount of strength. One punch was all it take to take out those men back there.

I turned my head and noticed a fire a few streets away. It seems to be the place where I was at before. Smoke rose into the air.

A fire took place. I wonder what happened.

 **...**

 _A Few More Unproductive Hours Later_

I was at the meeting point. I had just arrived and realized that I was the only person there. I was early, and since I have nothing better to do, I decide to survey the battlefield. Information is crucial in every battle. After a while of surveying, I got bored and decided to take a short nap near a cliff I found. To avoid being caught by Danger Beasts, I hid myself in the covers of the trees.

The next time that I opened my eyes, I found myself tied up and hanging upside down. I found Joker staring at me. He was laughing, silently since he doesn't make any noise when he iss laughing. I was only surprised, shocked and angry at the predicament I found myself in.

I was left in that position until everyone had arrived.

 **...**

The sun is slowly setting. The game I proposed would start in a few minutes time.

To be honest, I had wanted to use this game as a way to gauge everyone's strength, Tatsumi's powers and to allow the members to let lose some steam and go all-out against each other.

Tatsumi still have no idea about the existence of his Imperial Arm. Maybe he can learn about it throughout the course of the game and find out more about it's abilities.

I had Blade make something specifically for this event.

I kept walking. I walked by a restaurant that had been involved in a fire...for the third time. I turned towards an abandoned alleyway. After a few twist and turns, I stopped.

"Come out. It's no use hiding anymore." I shouted.

A few seconds passed, and sure enough, someone walked out. I looked at the person in front of me. I stared into her crimson eyes. She was the person who was there when Tatsumi went on a rampage after his fight with Zank. There were posters of her.

Akame of Night Raid.

Whatever happens, do not fight her and don't let her follow me. I still have the War Game to go to. I counted how much time I had left.

10 minutes. Which means I have three minutes to spare.

"What do you need?"

"I was ordered to kill you." She replied.

My mind went into overdrive. I need to escape now. Using my Imperial Arms, I weaved a simple net and launched it towards her, hoping she would be caught in it. I started running the moment the net left my hands. I took a peek behind me and realize she was still hot in pursuit. She must have cut the net apart. Turning a corner, I forced myself to run, ensuring my footsteps would be silent. After turning another corner, I jumped onto the roof and start heading towards the West Gate of the Capital. After jumping from roof to roof, I let myself fall and land in an alleyway. Not wasting any time, I head for the main street and blend into the crowd. From the corner of my eyes, I can still see Akame on top of a roof, looking around trying to locate me.

I wanted to cheer for myself but can't. I am not safe until I arrived at my destination safely and ensuring no one followed me.

I kept walking towards the West Gate. My eyes darted all around me and constantly checking if anyone was still following me. I walked out of the gate and into the forest. I felt no presence behind me.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, I made my way to where everyone was.

 **...**

Hikari arrived at the clearing where we were all waiting. Thankfully, I was released from the ropes when he arrived.

Well, the rules are simple. We were each given a scroll and a flare gun. If we stumble about an outsider and he/she is interfering with our match , the flare gun would be used. If your scroll is taken, you can try again and take the scroll(s) back at a later time. The game ends when the sun rises. Whoever has the most scrolls wins.

"With that, let's start the game" Hikari said. As he said this, everyone starting running off in different directions.

Currently, I am running towards a stream that I had seen earlier when I was surveying the area. As I ran, sounds of explosion were constantly ringing to my left. It was some distance away, but apparently, contact has been made. I continue running, all the while looking everywhere for a possible trap or an ambush.

I arrived at the stream, with no one around. Training and battle experience has taught me that the best place to survive during a battle would be near a water source. Sitting on top of a tree branch and trying my best to hide my presence, I begin to rest.

This is going to take a while.

 **...**

 _Some hours later_

I was still at my first hiding place. Some hours have passed and I have yet to face anyone.

It was getting boring. I jumped down from where I was. Looking around to make sure that no one was near me. Faint sounds of metal clashing against metal can be heard in the distance. Trying to avoid the battlefield, I decided to walk upstream.

Upon taking one step forwards, something came crashing towards me at high-speed. Relying purely on instinct, I stumbled out of the way. The object crashed into the earth a few metres away from me. Without any warning, it charged towards me. I could see the faint glint of a blade coming towards me. Having inadequate time to react, I was only able to bring my sword into the path of the swing in an attempt to block the strike. The strike was heavy and sent me off my feet, knocking me away from my initial spot. I landed into a tree with a shattered sword in my hands. I looked up at my attacker. Heavy armor covered every part of his/her body. Honestly, I failed to see even a crack on the armor where I can stab into, other than on the helmet. Towering over me was Juggernaut.

If what Blade said was true, I would never be able to even scratch his/her armor. The situation before me has become dire. I can't find any way to defeat him/her with that impenetrable armor. Dodging his attacks and escaping would be the best option I have. If possible, swipe his scroll before escaping.

Judging by the strength he/she just exhibit, I would be seriously injured if he is able to successfully land a hit on me. I had seen Juggernaut easily lift a 100kg dumbbell in one hand when he was in the gym, and the others claims that he was only taking it easy.

Anyways, back to the issue at hand. His/her eyes were on me and I did the same. I darted my eyes to the surrounding, trying to find a way to escape. He did travel towards me at an astonishing speed earlier. Which means that he could still do the same. He/she is wearing heavy armor. Normally, it is impossible to be able to travel at such a speed instantly. Unless he/she has an Imperial Arm, the only possibility on the speed was that it was built up over time as he kept running while increasing his/her speed. If this is true, I can be able to escape easily. I looked at him/her, formulating an escape plan in my head. I ran towards him, only for me to be thrown back by a punch. I tasted the dirt once again.

What? How is he still so fast?

I tried my best to stand up. Juggernaut started lumbering towards me. I started to run, constantly changing my directions as I did so. His/her speed has significantly reduced, as compared to before when he punched me. Maybe he can travel fast if it was only in one direction. That would explain why he was fast when I ran towards him. He must have used all of his leg strength to charge towards me in that one moment, which caught me off-guard. I was charging towards him head-on, which made it easy for him to predict where I would eventually be. I hope I can tire him out while he chase me, but I don't want to take any chances. I ran towards him again, but this time, I ran in zig-zags, giving him a harder time to predict me positions. Once I was close enough, I started to run around him, with him at the center.

I took a closer look at his weapons while I run. He carries an executioner's sword, which looked very heavy. Normally such a sword is wielded with both hands, but yet Juggernaut was using it like how I would use my short sword, a gladius, which broke just now. Using one hand.

I kept running circles around him. Surprisingly, I was able to keep up. I should really thank Hikari for his insane punishments later. Juggernaut seem to have stopped and just stood in his place, waiting for my next move. I begin my attacks. Wielding a hunting knife, I tried to stab at him/her at different places where I thought the armor was thinner as compared to the other places. Not only does it not work, which was frustrating, there wasn't even a single dent or scratch on his armor but I kept trying in hopes that the next attempt would work. Maybe what Blade boasted may actually be true. It might be impenetrable.

The best result that I had achieved was knocking him/her back. Other than that, my relentless torrent of attacks were ineffective. Add into the account that I have to avoid his blade, it was consuming a lot of my energy. Also, his scroll was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he placed in inside his armor.

This fight isn't going in my favor. I should retreat. Fighting him any longer would not be wise. Using all of my strength, I tackled him from behind. It pushed him forwards, and that was all I needed. Using this chance that I have created, I started retreating.

I kept running and running. Once or twice, I would run in a different direction in hopes of losing him. Once I think he was unable to see me, I stopped may run and begin to scale up a tree and wait. Juggernaut ran past the tree where I was hiding. I tried my best to not do anything to attract attention. Eventually he was out of sight. Yet I still did not move for the fear of him returning.

The voices in my mind are back. Screaming about how pathetic I am. I tried to reason with myself, saying that the fight was leading nowhere and that retreating was the best option. The screams in my mind just kept on increasing. No matter how I try to block it out, it just keeps getting louder and louder.

I struggled to stay sane.

It felt as if I was thrown into a fire, parts of my body hurts. I looked around. Juggernaut is no longer around. I let the force of gravity pull me down from the tree. I fell onto the earth below. I clutch my head tightly, hoping the screams and pain would stop. With each passing second, I would clutch my head even tighter, and finally I blacked out, no longer able to feel the pain.

 **...**

It was getting boring. I have waited for sometime in the forest. I had placed my strings all over the forest to act like sensors so that I would know when someone is coming towards me. However, because of a certain fight between Manic against Joker which I picked up with the noise they caused, most of the strings to my left were either burnt or severed. I had wanted to use my remaining strings to replace the ones lost, but that would leave me with no way to fight later on.

Now I am still sitting on top of a tree, where I was from the start. There is still some time left till dawn. Occasionally, a Danger Beast would pass by. Other than that, everything is quiet and boring. I have already ate dinner, so I have no need for food from now on. For now, I would just gaze at the stars.

I think back to my earliest memory. I have long forgotten before that day. The earliest memory that I have is when I was on a bed. There were a couple of strangers staring at me while taking notes. Beside them, there were also a couple of people who were busy writing and looking into some container thing. I continue to think about my memories before that day but there was nothing that came into my mind. My mind would hurt every time I try to think past that day.

I curled my hands into a fist. I have to kill him for my revenge, but yet I need him to tell me everything about my past. He was the first person I saw ever since I woke up. Doctor Stylish.

He was the reason why everyone died, and he was the reason I can't live a normal life anymore. He pushed us towards a cruel fate. I will never forgive him, and I will have him suffer for his crimes.

Something tugged on one of the strings I have put out, snapping me out of my reverie. I jumped down from where I sat and turned to the direction where I expect the person to come out from.

Someone wearing light armor walked out. His armor and weapons looked weird. According to him, his equipment was made specially for himself and its efficiency can only be displayed to the fullest by him. There is always something weird sticking out that seemed out of place.

Moonlight shined revealed his face. He had a twisted smirk while he stared at me, thirsty for blood.

Blade.

Of all the other people in our group, I was really shocked someone like him is able to fight on the front lines. He would always exceed the expectations of people and leave them shocked. In combat, his way of fighting is always unique and he would always pull tricks when fighting. Although people would call his fighting methods dirty or underhanded, he would always not be bothered and emerge victorious. He does things which you wouldn't expect and by the time you do, you are already dead.

I stared at him. He doesn't own an Imperial Arm, but his skills can trump Imperial Arm users going at full power. Currently, he wield two different sword. One of them is a katana sheathed at his hip while the other is a giant sword which he had in both of his hand. I watched his movement closely. He points the tip of the sword at me, as if to signal his intent to challenge me. I jumped away as a projectile flew past the spot where my head was a second ago. I turned to see smoke coming out of his sword. I zig zagged towards him. The sword he was carrying constantly shot projectiles at me, but none of them were able to hit me.

When I got close enough, I tried to score a punch on him, but he used the flat of his oversized sword's blade to block my punch. My punches landed on the sword, and using my other hand, I tried my best to push him back with his sword. The sword was thrown back. However, the person wielding it is nowhere to be seen. He had let go of his blade. I looked around yet didn't find him anywhere. I looked at the only other place he could be.

Above me.

He must have used his boots with springs attached to help him jump higher into the air. When I had first recruited Blade, he had "requested" some equipments that could allow him to make whatever he wanted to. Those equipments were very costly, but at least he offered to make our armors and weapons, and also help to earn money. Those boots of his allowed him to jump higher than he could achieve. His hands were already on the grip of his katana. Iai. If I was not mistaken, Blade was able to perform Iai, a form of martial art. It emphasize being aware and capable of quickly drawing the sword and responding to a sudden attack. There are many details involving this form of martial art. I have seen people using this style in combat. The best I have ever seen was capable of striking down an opponent without being seen drawing the sword. His movements surpassed the speed the naked eye can track. He had an Imperial Arm, so it wasn't really much of a surprise. Blade was falling towards me, and I am within the reach of his sword.

Blade must have thought that I would perform an attack on him while he was in the air. I moved away from where I think he would land.

I tried to jump back, hoping it was not too late. He drew his sword, and it harmlessly flew by the place where my neck once was. I smirked. I'm safe. He sheathed his katana and landed on the ground. His quick draw just now had many flaws. If a swordmaster were to comment on his display just now, he would have been very disappointed if Blade had been one of his students. Yet, to be able to perform this combat style by purely watching others fight was already impressive in my eyes.

I ran at him once again. Hoping to strike him before he could draw.

Well, that was what I planned to do. Until I noticed his left hand twisting a dial on the sheathe of the katana. I was met with questions. A dial? Why would his sheathe even need a dial? A dial is commonly found on locks to open them. It is commonly used on machine so that when turned, it would cause something to be opened. Unable to solve what he was doing, I charged, all the while cautious what what he would do. The answer to his intent came to me a little too late. He twisted the dial, something clicked. His katana was swung through the length of its sheathe and came towards me. That dial must have opened a small opening in the length of the sheath, allowing the katana to be able to slice through the sheath. Instead of the usual katana being drawn from the top of the sheath, the blade was drawn from the side of the sheath. The blade of the katana inched closer to me. I put my hands to blocked. The katana was sent into my lower arm, and was stopped there.

I have wrapped some of the strings on my lower arms when I noticed the dial. Now wanting to wait any longer, I pushed myself backwards, expecting him to chase me. He didn't do that. What he did instead was to lift the katana and point the tip at me. Until I noticed his katana stopped mid-strike. The tip of the katana was pointed at me. My eyes caught a black circle in the middle of the blade. It looked like a barrel of a gun. It was just like that oversized sword he was carrying earlier. A sword and a firearm at the same time.

He twisted and pulled the lower part of the grip out. Then he proceeded to push the handle inwards. A small light was present in the black circle for only a moment before vanishing. A projectile came flying towards me at high speed an instant later.

Once again, I was taken aback. He just pulls one stunt after another. He is really a dark horse in combat. How is he able to pull all of these stunts. I continue charging. He fired again, but the tip was aimed elsewhere. It was aimed to his left. Using the force produced, he combined it with his and brought the blade to me. That slice carried more force than usual and was sent at me with unnatural speed. I dodged by stopping and pushing myself back using my legs, and thus begins my game of dodging his attacks.

Seriously, how is he so smart?

 **...**

I looked around me. I was back in the black void. This time has a difference than the previous times. There are light sources, seven flames of different colors circled around me. Since I am unable to see my body, I assumed they are around me since all seven of them are in my sights. Each flame was of a different color. White, Red, Green, Blue, Purple, Black and Yellow. The black flame would have went unnoticeable, since it is very similar to the color of my surrounding. The flame was of a darker shade of black, allowing me to notice its presence.

I can't move any part of my body and helplessly watched as the flames kept circling around me.

"Name. Tatsumi." someone said.

"Listens only to cold hard facts..." another person said

"doesn't believes anything before him." someone else continued.

"Nothing is genuine to him." someone else said.

"Strength ..."

"Average."

"Speed..."

"Commendable."

"Verification complete..."

"Minimum conditions met."

"Basic controls relinquished."

"Desires….confirmed"

"Sacrifice…..accepted."

I was getting annoyed. This kept going on for some time and when I try to start a conversation, I would be ignored. I had resorted to listened in on their conversation. There was talks of something being given to me, which I have no idea what it is. The talk seemed never-ending and my patience ran lower as each second passes.

Finally, I ran out of patience and was going to rant when I was interrupted.

"Complete." Someone said and immediately, I was forced awake. Light blinded my eyes.

Eventually, my eyes adjusted to the surroundings and I regain sight of my surroundings. Nobody seems to be around. I immediately check my body for any evident injuries. No injuries. I check to see if the scroll is still on me. That also remained unchanged.

So, to another person, I merely passed out for some time. I sure hope this isn't gonna happen to me often. Pushing myself off the ground, I patted off the dirt off my clothes before running East.

I jumped from one tree to another, all the while watching for any signs of a trap, since I know of a certain person who is more than able to make traps using his strings. I stopped once again after I assumed that I had run far enough from my last place. With me sitting on top of a tree, I waited for sunrise.

 **...**

{Bulat's Perspective}

Currently, I stood at the docks, with Lubbock beside me. We were called back from our search mission to deal with a certain problem. Just a few hours ago, a few murders of some nobles were conducted under our name. The only problem was that we did not conduct any of these murders. To make things even worse, the ones murdered are nobles who opposes Honest in the shadows.

Najenda had suspected the new group of people we encountered, but ruled it out. It wasn't certain whether it was them. We were called back to base during our search and was assigned an emergency mission.

Our mission is to protect a certain merchant who recently bought the ship Ryuusen. Najenda has theorized that the likely murderers are the Three Demon Generals, due to most of the victims being killed gruesomely. No one knows their true identity.

"Let's get on the boat." I said.

Lubbock nodded and boarded the boat. I don Incursio when no one was looking and made myself invisible. Looking around for anyone suspicious, I boarded the ship.

 **...**

I stood at where I was. My sword placed before me so that I would be able to react to his attacks. I continue staring at the person before me. Wearing a top hat, with a mask that covers his entire face also wearing a formal suit and tie. The person was Joker.

I have yet to find out what his weapon he uses. Since my sword was broken during my battle with Juggernaut, I was only to fight with a simple hunting knife. This fight is become disadvantageous to me. Running away may not be the best option at present moment. The only option I have left is to fight, survive and when a chance shows itself, run.

Dagger in reverse grip, I ran forwards at full speed, waiting for his response. Rather than making a move, his hand went into his pocket and he took out a deck of cards.

A deck of cards? What good is that? The only way to use them as a weapon would be to throw them. However, as they are pretty thin, simply throwing it would cause it to go off course. If he really is gonna fight me by throwing those cards, he must have some other weapon hidden and the card is used to avert my attention from it.

I looked to his other hand. Both of his hand are covering the deck of cards. I slow down my charge, wary of whatever tricks that he may pull. He pull out one of the cards and threw it in my direction. It was sent at me with an impossible speed. It grazed my cheek and flew by. Something flowed out of the wound. I was cut, by a card. Now that I have looked at the card, I realized that the card was unique. There was a thin piece of metal attached at the sides of the card.

What I still don't get was how the card was able to move that fast. If I saw it correctly, after he threw the card, the card was moving at normal speed before it accelerated towards me. I can't come up with any possibility that could explain why this is happening. Maybe I can ask him after the whole thing ends. For now, I should prevent myself from being hit.

I ran in zig-zag towards him. However, every time I get close to him, I would be knocked back by a barrage of cards. Somehow, the cards that he threw out would come back to him, like as if they were magnets. I need to devise a new strategy. Since we are fighting in the middle of the forest, there is plenty of places for me to hide in to conceal my presence. I started running up a tree and start to jump from tree to tree, making sure to keep myself hidden within the leaves and to keep him within my sights. I can see that Joker has stop shooting his cards and now merely stood there, looking at a particular direction. Maybe he is trying to determine my position. Once I was on his left side, I threw my knife at him and jumped out at him.

My goal is for him to at least block or dodge the dagger, leaving himself open for just an instant. I waited for him to block the knife, but made no move to do so. Instead of the dagger hitting him, as I would expect should he not block or evade, the dagger was suddenly stopped and remained in the air, inches from his face.

What just happened? I have just witness something that is impossible. How could a knife in motion just suddenly stop moving by itself? He didn't even touch the knife, and he surely wasn't even looking at it. How? How did he do it? An Imperial Arm? That could be possible. If he does have an Imperial Arm, then the odds of even running would be very slim.

I was still travelling in mid-air. I readied myself for his next move. He vanished from where he stood. A fist connected with my stomach, causing me to exhale sharply. I was unable to inhale. It hurts. I was now sprawled on the ground with my back facing the sky. I tried to stand up, before the knife that I had threw earlier fall onto the ground. It was stuck firmly into the earth, just centimeters before my eyes.

For several moments, I made no attempt to move. I was frozen in fear. The skill that Joker displayed was something that even my mentor was unable to achieve. He could have killed me anytime he wanted to. From the start, he was just playing with me, while here I am, trying my best to survive.

I pushed myself off the ground and pulled the knife out of the earth. The sn has already begin its usual journey across the sky. I looked around. Joker is no longer in the vicinity. I feel like I forgot something important, but that can wait until later.

It seems I have survived the game, even though I didn't take anyone's scroll. I was glad I at least didn't lose mine. I feel my pockets, trying to fish out my scroll to see what was written in it.

My mind went blank. My scroll is gone. I could feel my pride tearing itself apart. Joker must have took it just now. I sprinted towards the meeting point. He should not have gotten too far. If I can intercept him before he arrives, I can still have a chance to getting the scroll back.

I kept running, only to find that I was the last one there. Everyone has already assembled. I felt like a stone just crashed itself onto me. I lost.

So afterwards, the winner was announced, along with the true purpose of this game. It was hosted to welcome me into the group and also a way for every member to have a gauge of the ability of others.

"Now, I hate to ruin this atmosphere, but I have something we need to announce. Currently, due to certain incidents that occurred, our group has attracted the attentions. We are currently targeted. The Revolutionary Army would be sending more assassins after us while the Prime Minister would be doing everything he can to get in our way. Adding in the rumors that Esdeath has returned from her expedition in the North, and having come back to deal with Night Raid, which would also bring us into her list of victims. She would be forming a team consisting of capable individuals who each possess an Imperial Arm. We are exposed to a lot of dangers from every side. From now on, I would like everyone to exercise caution when being sent on missions. If you were to encounter anyone from the Empire or the Revolutionary Army, either run away or deal with them swiftly." Hikari added. "We may also be setting up a secondary base outside of the Capital should we find ourselves in more danger. With all this said, you are dismissed!"

 **...**

{Wave's Perspective}

I walked through the gates of the Capital. This is my first time coming to the Capital and I am enjoying every moment of it. I was called to the Capital to join a task force that was formed by General Esdeath. Since I had an Imperial Arm in my possession, it was obvious why I was chosen.

Before I left for the Capital, I was given many parting gifts from the various people in the village where I was from. One of the many was a large bag of fish, which was a gift from my mother. As I made my way towards the palace, many pair of eyes were fixated on me.

Perhaps there was something wrong with my appearance.

I made my way to the palace, trying my best to ignore the stares that I was given.

After a few twist and turns in the palace, I finally arrived at my destination. I opened the door, excited to meet my new comrades.

There was only one person present in the room, and he was wearing a gas mask. Something I usually find the people in the torture chambers wearing.

I hurriedly shut the door in shock and fear. I once again checked whether I was at the right venue. I have expect to enter a torture chamber than a meeting room. I once again opened the door, this time much slower than before. The man with the gas mask was now looking at my direction.

I took a step forwards and took furthest seat at the table. For the next few minutes, a few other people entered the room. There was a brief introduction session. Apparently, the man in the gas mask was from the Incineration Squad, and he is incredibly shy, or so he claims.

The door swings open once again, and everyone turned to look at the new member. I stood up to welcome this new person. I received a kick in the stomach for my efforts, which knocked me back by a few meters, slamming me into the wall. The others rushed to attack this new person.

When I got back to my feet, the fight has already concluded. The intruder was revealed to be none other than General Esdeath herself. After explaining her actions, claiming it to be a way for her to know of everyone's skills, she ushered us out of the room and into another room, where we were made to wear formal suits.

We walked down the corridor, with Esdeath leading the way. I was getting dizzy.

"May I ask what we are supposed to do now?" I inquired.

"We are supposed to meet the Prime Minister to inform him that all members have been assembled."

"So what are we called? It makes sense to have a name for this group." someone by the name of Run asked.

I turn to look at our leader. She pondered for a moment, before she spoke again.

"I have yet to think of a name. I think the name Jaegers should suffice."

* * *

 **Rewrites are finally over! Rejoice.**

 **So p.o.v changes seems to be a problem in this chapter. I labelled most of them to avoid confusion. If I didn't label, the p.o.v is either Tatsumi, Hikari, Akame or third person. I left clues in the specific part who the person is. If you think this is still confusing, tell me and I'll just change it to having labels. I apologise to all my readers for making you wait for the next chapter.**

 **The next chapter will be available within this week. Don't worry about it. I promise it will be good, maybe.**

 **Okay, time to marathon some anime. Review!**

 **Thank you for reading and being patient. Have a good day!**


	15. Chapter 15: Hunter or Hunted II

**Before you start reading this chapter, let me inform you that the rewrites for previous chapters are now completed. There are some additional contents that I added in the previous chapters so there is no need to thank me. Enjoy them. I did change some details in the story.**

 **I will inform you guys of some news at the bottom of the story so do read them, if you want, after you have read the story.**

 **Also, let me apologise here and now for the delay for this chapter. I am currently enjoying my holiday. It felt like it was just yesterday when I just started publishing this story. Man, times flies by too fast. The rewrites for the previous chapters are done.**

 **Also, just a heads up. '...' represents a scene change. It could either be like a time skip, which I'll label, or a change in perspective. I would often change from Hikari's perspective to Tatsumi's perspective and vice versa. I would only label for characters which seldom have their perspectives change. I will commonly write for Tatsumi, Hikari since they are considered important to the plot. If you guys are easily confused and want me to label, do tell me. I do leave many significant clues as to whose perspective it is.**

 **Let's get on with the story.**

 **Kimi no Na Wa was a very good anime movie. I highly recommend you guys watching it.:)**

* * *

 _Volume 2: Chapter 2: Hunter or Hunted II_

Once again I was plunged into the dark world where nothing exists. I drifted around. Time and space are concepts which doesn't exists here. I only exists if I want it to. Sometimes the surroundings would change, showing me different scenes of either my past or my delusions. Sometimes I would wake up with tears in my eyes, other times I would wake up cursing the world. I had been accepted into a group of assassins, and ever since then life has become very weird. I always find myself in my bed even though I have no recollection of ever getting into one. I seem to notice that I constantly find myself in this world of nothingness. I would be gradually shown more and more scenes which came from neither my memory.

Slowly, light began to pour into my world of nothingness as my eyes were opened. I stared at the ceiling of my room. I find myself back in the room I was offered at Hikari's house. Today would be my last day here. Hikari had requested for me to stay that our base, helping to tend the shop and learn the ropes. Well, I don't mind, since the only time these lessons would be put to use would be when the others are gone for missions that requires them to travel elsewhere.

Getting up from my bed, I went to the toilet to wash my face. Once I am fully awake, I made myself some coffee to ensure I won't fall asleep during the day. I have been falling unconscious for the last few days more often. I had blamed it on me being exhausted and having inadequate sleep. I do hope this kind of thing would be cured soon.

I looked around the room, making sure I did not leave anything behind. All of my belongings were packed into my bag, the same one which I used when travelling to the Capital from my village. There wasn't much things to pack to begin with. A few sets of clothes. Some mementos from the village. My equipment, which was already left at the shop. Other than these, there wasn't anything else to bring over.

(A/N: I'll refer the base where Tatsumi and the others commonly gather at as a shop, since it is a shop to many people.)

Hikari was no longer in his house. He must have left early. I pushed open the door, letting the cool morning breeze rejuvenate my senses. It was pretty early. There wasn't much people on the streets. Other than the usual officers from the Imperial Police on patrol, the streets were practically empty.

I locked the door to his house. I won't be coming back here in awhile. Though we do have a base, most of the others in stay elsewhere. As a safety precaution, Hikari made keys for everyone, so we can seek refuge at his place should anything happen that made the base inaccessible.

I begin to traverse the currently empty streets of the Capital. Other than an occasional civilian that would appear from the door of various houses, there was nothing interesting to see. It was really quiet. I could hear how loud my footsteps were as it resonated throughout the Capital.

Eventually, I arrived at the shop. The surrounding shops have already begin to open up to welcome a new day of customers. It won't be long before people start flooding the streets, going about their usual activities.

I pushed open the door and made my way upstairs. I was told to take any one of the rooms that are available. There were plenty of rooms upstairs, considering how this shop was initially an inn before it was bought over and converted to whatever it was now.

I entered the furthest room down the left corridor. I pushed it open. It relatively small. There was a simple bed, a table, a wardrobe and a shelf. It should suffice. Since there is still time, I went into the gym to get my training done. The gym was pretty impressive. It had pretty much everything, considering how even my mentor did not have such extensive equipment to use. I begin my usual workout. I have yet to complete what Hikari had wanted me to do. Since I was unable to accomplish it, the workout just kept increasing in intensity. It had already been 3 weeks. Although I did manage to do half of the current amount, it is still going to take quite a while before it gets to that amount. For now, I can only hope that the day I settle this punishment comes sooner.

By the time I have finished, I was already covered in sweat. I wiped them away with the towel that I had brought along and proceed to head towards the showers. I pushed open the door to the showers.

"Eh..?"

Apparently someone else was also in the showers. I turned towards the direction where the sound came from. My eyes landed on the the nude body of a pink haired girl. She must have been surprised. I hastily turned away. Muttering an apology, I rushed out of the showers, hoping to avoid any other confusion that may arise should someone else see us.

"Sorry."

I closed the door. I leaned on one of the walls. My face felt hot. I desperately tried to suppress the blush that is arising. It isn't working, since my mind decides to constantly replay what I have seen in the bathroom.

I forgot that there were others in the building. She was one of the three that I saved the other day. I have no idea what her name was, nor did I bother to ask. There should have been a sign on the door that shows whether if anyone was using the showers. It was displayed as available. Could they have not seen it?

For some reasons, the image of someone that lives in this building flashed in my mind. This could have been one of his pranks. Joker was known for his pranks after all. Since I was easy target, I was constant victims of his pranks. I don't really mind, just it tends to get annoying.

My thoughts were interrupted by a high pitch scream that came from the bathroom. It lasted for a moment. It served well to attract the attention of everyone in the shop. I sighed, mentally preparing myself for the trouble that I would have to deal with.

I patiently waited for whoever was in the bathroom to stop screaming. I should really be more wary of Joker. His pranks would be the death of me. I think I need to apologise to that pink-haired girl.

I knocked on the door, hoping to get the attention of the person inside.

"Look, I'm really sorry for entering when you were inside. I didn't do this intentionally, so…..will you forgive me for this?"

An apology should be the best course of action, or that was what I assumed. Back in the village, Ieyasu would always get himself into such situation. Since Ieyasu is rather perverse, he would always suggest to peek on the girls. Of course, he would always be beaten up and punished, with the former consequence personally handled by Sayo. Since what just happened wasn't done on purpose with perverted intentions, I should be fine if I just apologise, right?

I bowed, hoping to express my sincerity in apologising. No sound was heard for a few moments, before the door was opened and the pink-haired girl walked away. She did not say anything and just walked away, with her face red. Perhaps she was still angry at me for what just happened.

I walked into the bathroom, not before checking that the sign on the door was flipped to the correct side. I really don't want to deal with this again. I really hope I can just bathe in peace.

Nothing abnormal happened throughout the bath. Thank goodness. I went downstairs, going over to Blade's workshop to learn from him the know-hows of crafting. He was in the basement, surrounded by an assortment of tools scattered throughout the vast room.

"Oh, you're here." Someone spoke out, notifying me of his presence.

There are a variety of things in this place. I could see a container with legs in the far corner of the room. God knows whatever that was supposed to be used for. For the next few hours, he was giving me a lesson on science, telling me of the different things that we should utilise to help reduce wastage and increase productivity. I had no idea why I was made to listen to this, and whenever I try to question him about it, he would just retort that it is important to know this. I could only let myself. By the end of the session, I had no idea if I was taught anything about crafting, or if I had just attended school.

I glanced up at a clock that was hung on the wall. Oh crap, I'm got to get to work. I said my thanks and goodbyes, before rushing out of the building I was in.

 **…**

I yawned. Having to wake up early in the morning isn't something I enjoy.

I had to scout for a location where we could establish a new base outside of the Capital without being found easily. There isn't much options. I had a map of the surrounding area around the Capital memorised, yet there isn't any location that fit the criteria.

Ah, I really wish I had been dispatched somewhere else. The Capital was interesting at first glance, but eventually it will lose color and starts to get boring. Someone walked into the clearing I was at. Heavy armor covers every part of his/her body. It isn't very bulky, but it doesn't expose any skin.

Juggernaut seldoms talks. From the time I have recruited him, he had never spoken a complete sentence that consists of more than 10 words. Adding that to the fact that his/her gender was not known. Well, it was a fact that Juggernaut is a very capable soldier. In terms of chess, Juggernaut would be the rook. He/She is a very major piece in the overall capabilities of the team. He/She makes a good soldier, but not a good assassin. I usually send him on missions that deal with defending our allies or guard our base. We can't have him/her trying to kill someone when his outfit would already catch the attention of the his/her target.

"There isn't much place to set up a base. The best location I can find would be this clearing. Located in the middle of this dense forest. Did you find any other place?" I asked.

Juggernaut shook his/her head, implying a no.

"So I guess we'll just make our base here. I may need your familiar's help, if you don't mind."

Juggernaut took out a whistle, and exhaled into it. Nothing happened for several moments until something came into the clearing we were in. The earth trembled with each step it took. It towered over the both of us. Till this day, I would always wonder how Juggernaut was able to being such a creature under his/her control.

It was at least three metres tall, with a huge hulking figure. Its body was covered in vines, with some part of its body made of what seems to be stone and dirt. It looked like one of those Ents that commonly reside in the forest, disguised as trees. Elder Ents are classified as B-Class Danger Beasts, while normal Ents are considered to be a C-class Danger Beasts. This creature before me trumps them, even though they look very similar in terms of appearance. The creature is classified as a A-Class Danger Beasts, since it was almost impossible to take down with only a sword. Even I would experience difficulty when fighting against such a creature. An Earth Golem. Though it isn't the strongest being in the forest, it is still pretty high up on the food chain. Earth Golems are also very rare, since they can disguise themselves to blend in with their surrounding and dig underground.

"Okay, I need him to dig an area underground. Make sure it is large enough to fit about thirty hundreds of people. Maybe we can also create a maze while we're at it, to keep outsiders from finding our base." I had wanted to add more details to this base of ours. One of them was to have the golem reinforce the earth, making the earth impossible to dig through. Earth Golems have a trait called the 'Blessings of the Earth', which grants them the ability to manipulate the earth to a certain extent.

This reminds me of those fantasy stories I have read in my spare time to relieve my boredom. I am essentially building a dungeon. It wasn't my intentions to do so, but hey, since we're doing something similar, why not just enjoy myself. Making a dungeon. I wonder if I should have Danger Beasts in it. They could serve as bodyguards, and maybe even become part of my army.

I started to laugh, before I caught myself.

Seriously, what am I thinking? This is stupid. Such a plan would definitely garner attention. I sighed.

Sometimes I should really stop getting wild ideas.

 **…**

{Esdeath's Perspective}

It had already been a month. A month since the Jaegers was established, yet we have yet to apprehend any Revolutionary spies or Night Raid. I have been very patient. I was waiting for Night Raid to strike at any moment, so we could intercept them and hopefully fight each other in a death battle. Yet, a month has passed and none of the members of Jaegers have even met a member of Night Raid.

They were still conducting murders on nobles every other night, yet every time we arrive on scene, the only thing left were dead bodies, which littered throughout the premises. It was hard. Everyday, my body yearns for direct combat against them. Initially, it was only a bother. However, over time, this feeling starts to spread throughout my body. We were able to determine their skills in combat. Every member are very skilled and are highly efficient as a team. It was frustrating.

Is having a simple combat against them so hard to grant?

"General Esdeath, I have received a report on the incident a few months back." Run stated.

Oh yes, that incident. Seryu was a direct witness. That incident heavily crippled the already lacking manpower the Imperial Police faced. Although it was mostly resolved by issuing recruitment notices, it was still a incident that showed how weak the Imperial Police actually is. I have questioned Seryu personally about what had happened.

According to her, a man confronted her in the middle of her battle against two Night Raid members. Although her Imperial Arm had consumed the man, he seem to be still alive, with the help of his Imperial Arm. He wasn't affiliated with the Empire or Night Raid, since he had attacked both side indiscriminately. He was taken away by someone with white hair. No one around who survived the incident could remember how he looked like.

The appearance of a third party.

Honestly, this doesn't faze me in any way. It would just be one more battle that I would have to deal with, something which I would thoroughly enjoy. All I have to do is to constantly crush all opposition I would have. Should they fall, it would just proved that they were weak. If someone out there is strong enough to challenge me, I would make sure to enjoy my battle with them. It is hard to find worthy opponents.

"Okay, tell me if there is anything we don't know." I replied lazily.

"According to the report, the person which had attacked Seryu wielded an armor-type Imperial Arm. On the approval of the Emperor, I had went to the Imperial Library to see find out which Imperial Arm he was using. The descriptions of his Imperial Arm had not matched any of the features of the Imperial Arms recorded. Though we are unsure of which Imperial Arms were destroyed, the descriptions of the 48 Imperial Arms were still recorded. For there to not be anything similar to what he wielded, there could only be two possibility. Either he wasn't using an Imperial Arm, or there was someone out there who is able to make an Imperial Arm." Run reported.

"Not possible. The First Emperor had destroyed every record out there that contained the methods of making an Imperial Arm. Also, the craftsmen he hired were all assassinated after the production of the 48 Imperial Arm was completed, together with their families. It was confirmed that none of them had survived. The First Emperor had claimed that the chances of someone being able to find a way to make an Imperial Arm again, no matter how much of a genius he is, is zero percent." I rebutted lazily.

Rather than spend my time doing administrative work and discussing, I rather spend my time in the torture chambers or on the battlefield. Everything else is boring. The only thrill that I seek lies in these two places.

Apparently, Run is a capable subordinate. I would sometimes let him handle most of the work I had to deal with but hate doing.

"I had also known this fact. That was why I had also consulted on the opinion of Doctor Stylish, who was one of the researchers in the Advanced Research Foundation. I had inquired whether there was any way of a 49th Imperial Arm created, or someone figuring out how to make an Imperial Arm. He had said that the latter was impossible. However, he was skeptical whether the former was impossible. Only 48 Imperial Arms was announced to the Imperial Court of that time. There could be other Imperial Arms made that were not disclosed, or even defects that was not destroyed."

By now I was already bored. It doesn't matter to me if there were more than just 48 Imperial Arms. At the end of the day, they are still tools to be used. How powerful they can be relies heavily on how the wielder wants to wield it. I also caught the words of that group in Run's words. Advanced Research Foundation. A group of researchers that was brought together by the Sixth Emperor of the Empire. Why this group was formed was unknown. They were brought together to research and develop on everything. The group considers themselves as a separate entity as the Imperial Court of the Empire. They have little interest in politics, and care only about their research. They have many divisions. I am very good friends with one of their division leader. He was in charge of the Biological Division. We would often talk about the human anatomy and how to deliver maximum amount of pain during torture without having to kill the person. His division does yield very interesting experiment results.

"Excellent. I would like you to investigate more on this case. If possible, try to get Doctor Stylish on board. He might be interested about it. He could provide you with valuable information, given his expertise."

"Right away." Run said as he went back into his office that I assigned to him.

I sighed. Honestly, I really hate office work. I really wish to be fighting someone strong. This Black Knight guy seems strong. Even Seryu comment about it. He might be able to stand his ground against me. I really anticipate our fight, whenever it will be.

For now, we have to deal with both Night Raid and this third party. I really wish something fun would happen, like an enemy decides to confront me right now so I could have a good fight.

 **…**

Work was uneventful, which was good.

The last thing I wanted is for my source of income to be cut. Work ended after a few hours. All I had to do was to make some swords. It was pretty simple once I got the hang of it. The only thing I couldn't handle was the heat. I grew up in an area where it snows for most of the year. This difference in temperature is really unbearable.

I walked back to the shop I had moved into. Upon opening the door, my eyes landed on Manic talking to the three girls. She was giving them a tour of the place, telling them about where everything is. Apparently, they have plans for them to work at this place, and look after it when some of us are away.

I walked past them, hoping to go to the kitchen to make myself something to eat.

"Tatsumi!"

Once again, my plans were disrupted by Manic.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Is it okay for you to show them around the Capital? I can't go out since I have some other things I need to do." she pleaded. She walked closer towards me and leaned into my ear.

"I won't tell anyone about what happened this morning. I may even speak up for you~" she whispered. I was frozen solid. What happened this morning should not get out of this building, and having as little people knowing about it is ideal. Yet, why would she use this as a bargaining chip. Is what she's going to do really that important?

"S-Sure. I could show them around in your stead."

"Really? Thanks a lot! I'll treat you to something next time!" and with these parting words, she dashed out of the building, leaving me with these three girls before me.

There was a moment of awkward silence, before it was interrupted by my coughs.

"So….do you girls have any place in mind?" I asked.

"N-Not really…." The blonde girl said.

"Okay…..I guess I should introduce myself. I am Tatsumi, who hails from a village in the North. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Fal" the blonde introduced herself.

"Luna….N-Nice to meet you." the blue haired girl said.

"I'm Air. We came from a village in the South."

I'm not sure if it was me or something, but these girls seemed pretty tensed when they were talking to me. Especially Air. Her face are slightly red. It must have been the incident this morning.

I mentally sighed. This is going to be troublesome to deal with.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **This chapter was shorter than my previous, so sorry about that. Once again, I would bring up this issue. Would you like me to label the perspectives of the different characters that I would be writing? In this chapter, the perspective changes from Tatsumi to Hikari to Esdeath to Tatsumi. As you can see, I did not label for the perspectives of Tatsumi and Hikari. Of course, if you are confused before reading this message, please tell me. Like review my story tell me this and I will label from now on.**

 **So let me announce a few thing.**

 **One: I am helping a fellow author on with his story. It's called 'Truce Force' and it's written by Yui-kun23. I would really appreciate it if you could check out his story. It's a Danganronpa fanfiction and has a pretty interesting concept. Like, Naegi-kun is a half-vampire. Anything else i need to convince you? Just please don't mind the grammar errors for the first few chapters. I helped him out at around chapter 4, so I did not help to edit his previous chapters.**

 **Two: I would be releasing another fanfiction soon. It would be an Oreimo fanfiction. I adopted the story from another author. I would release it around next week, together with the next chapter of this story. I have no experience writing up stories in a modern setting. And since my life is boring, nothing interesting ever happens in it that could be used as content in my chapters. If you guys don't mind, you can send me interesting stories that happened in your life or you heard about. Of course, make sure it's nothing sensitive to you. Send it to me via PM if you don't mind having it put into the story.**

 **Three: Since I would introducing more and more things into this story, I may set up a wiki page, which contains everything that I fail to explain in the story. Of course, this was only a whim that I thought up and I need to see if there is a need for it.**

 **Four: ChaosOmega8, here's a half a cookie. I won't say what's it's for. But nonetheless, take the half a cookie.**

 **Five: Here's a conversation I had with one of the characters recently. I won't tell you who he or she is. This person will be revealed in the next arc. So for now, just keep this in mind.**

[Start of Conversation]

?: HEY! Are you gonna have Onii-sama go on a date with me?

Me: Calm down. Yea, I will let you go on a date with him. But just one.

?: Really? Great, I gonna have him do everything with me. There's so much I wanna do with Onii-sama. I'll **[-Omitted due to spoilers-].** Maybe at the end of it, I can ha-

Me: And nothing indecent will happen. (NO!) It won't be fair for the others. Also, though I am fine with excessive sibling love, there should be a limit somewhere.

?: B-But love knows no bounds! And I love him with all my heart, I'll even-

The rest of the conversation was omitted to prevent the reveal of future plot.

[End of Conversation]

 **Okay, that's everything. I see that everything has been progressing steadily. Hope you liked that cliche romance anime scene, featuring Air and Tatsumi. To ensure equal amount of chances for the candidates, I will write up a romance scene for every girl.**

 **I brought in an organisation called the 'Advanced Research Foundation'. If you didn't get what they do, just think of CERN. Basically, they are in charge of researching on…...well, everything related to science. Also, I tried my best writing the part for Esdeath. I made her into a battle maniac. She seeks only a good fight and the thrill of battle. Maybe it was accurate, maybe it wasn't. I'll leave you guys to be the judge.**

 **Okay, I'm done.**

 **Merry Christmas Guys. Enjoy this festive season.**


	16. Chapter 16: Hunter or Hunted III

**I'm still learning how to draw. Man, it's so hard. Wish I had talent for arts, but unfortunately, I don't. Still tryna draw some fanart that I can use as a cover for this story. I have been trying my best, so don't worry. I am still drawing how Tatsumi would look like in his Imperial Arm. Maybe I'll also draw some scenes that I have written in the earlier chapters, if I have the time to do so.**

 **If you guys wanna have the right feels when reading this chapter, simply listen to the opening and ending soundtrack of Bungou Stray Dogs. Also search up the meaning in the lyrics. You will find it to be pretty relevant in this story, sooner or later.**

 **I have labelled the perspectives upon the request of some. Hope this would help in easier reading.**

 **Now, let me inform you that Tatsumi's past isn't as normal as what I have let on so far. There are plenty of details in his dark past, which I have decided to paint it even darker. I may put some hints of what actually happens. This arc is one of the long one, which may span from 5 chapters to 10+.**

 **As for pairing, some of you have suggested many different choices. Some suggested Akame, others wanted Esdeath, Chelsea or some other girl. A harem was also recommended. I have little knowledge and experience of romance, so I will try my best to write them when the time comes.**

* * *

 _Volume 2: Chapter 3: Hunter or Hunted III_

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

"And this is the Red Light District. Basically, if you want live a normal life, this is the place you stay away from. All kinds of dangerous people dwell in this district. Just stay away from here."

I have been showing these three girls all around the Capital, taking them to various places that I think would be popular to them. Other than the Silk District, which was a pretty large area, they have yet to express interests in any other places I have brought them to.

I mentally sighed. I had not come to the Capital for leisure purposes, and thus was unfamiliar with most of what the Capital has to offer for travellers. I tried my best, finding places where I think girls around my age would prefer.

Why did Manic ask me to do this again? Can't she have just brought them around another time if she had some other things to attend to?

I mentally sighed. It was pretty tiring. Half of the time I had thought that I was talking to myself. They didn't talk much during the tour. The only conversation they made were between themselves and was done in whispers. I can sense this awkward atmosphere between me and them.

We arrived at the doors of the shop. At least this was over. We did get some food while touring the Capital and thus it sated my hunger for a while.

"And that concludes the tour. Do you have any other questions?

There was no reply. They simply shook their heads before making their way into the building. I guess trusting me is going to take a while.

I walked into the shop, hoping to make myself some dinner. I made myself some fish and chips. Once I have eaten enough, I proceeded to my room. I have little time to rest before I start my mission.

As usual, I have to kill some corrupted nobles who have overstepped their boundaries. The list of people to kill seems to be constantly piling up. Just how many are there?

I laid down on my bed. The voices in my head kept speaking, telling me all kinds of things. Since most of them are like destroying the world, I generally ignored them. I must have gone crazy. Since when do people have voices in their head? Then again, maybe these voices are my thoughts? It isn't a possible theory when the words of these voices doesn't correspond to my actual thoughts.

Without any warning, my eyes gradually closed without my knowledge and I returned into the world of emptiness. This time, my surroundings showed me something else. Something that I have never seen before.

I was standing on the surface of an ocean of some black liquid. There are some things that sticks out from the ocean. Gravestones. I can't see myself, considering this dream was viewed in first person.

Drop by drop, some of the black liquid started to rise towards the sky. It was not just from this ocean of liquid. Drops of black liquid were also coming out of my own body. All of them gathered at a point in the sky and formed a ball of black liquid. Eventually, once it got to a large enough size, the sphere begin to deform and change into….something. I can't describe how it looked. The black liquid no longer look like a fluid. It looks like some sort of black-colored gas.

I did not see the end of the transformation. My attention was captured by something else. There was someone underneath that mass of black liquid. He was the exact copy of myself. The only difference between him and me was that his eye sockets were filled with the black matter.

A demonic voice echoed in my mind. It sent chills down my spine. My body was shaking, and i can't stop it. I can feel myself slowly deprived of air. I feel like I'm suffocating.

Someone, please make it stop.

" **Soon, all shall be yours."**

My eyes were instantly opened. I shot up from where I was lying. My body was drenched in cold sweat and I was shaking uncontrollably. It took a while, but eventually I recovered. My mind wasn't functioning as I wanted to, and the voices in my head are louder than ever. With every second, the voices are getting much harder to ignore.

Just what was that? That was a dream, right? If so, how can I be so frightened of something my mind made up?

I tried to laugh it off, but I simply can't ignore it. I glanced towards the clock that hung on the wall.

Oh, crap. I'm late for my mission. I ran out of the door to my room, pushing the events of what just happened into the deep recess of my mind.

 **…**

{Akame's Perspective}

Another mission.

This time, I was tasked to assassinate some corrupt noble who has been exploiting civilians and bribing some of the court officials. These kind of jobs are pretty common in the Capital. Boss has once claimed that she would be even more surprised if such requests were no longer present.

This time, I would be paired up with Sheele. We are required to take the noble's life tonight. Of course, Boss has anticipated that we may not be the only ones who received this mission. We were briefed upon what we need to do if we were to encounter them.

Kill them, or if a favourable situation presents itself, capture them so that we can obtain valuable information.

I ran atop the roofs, heading towards my destination. As usual, no one below us on the streets noticed us. Yet to be on the safe side, we chose to traverse a less crowded route.

It tooks a while since the mansion was located far away from the gates of the Capital. We eventually arrived at the outskirts of the mansion. It was quiet, with the chirping of crickets the only sound to be heard anywhere. No light peeked through the windows of the mansion.

The occupants of the mansion must have already fallen asleep, though it is an unusual timing for them to do so. It is more common for them to sleep a few hours later. Also, where are the guards who are supposed to guard the mansion. It is normal for guards to always be present at the doors, even if they have ended their shift and are waiting for other guards to take their post.

Something here doesn't add up. Where are the guards who are supposed to guard the place. Even if they were to abandon their posts, shouldn't they have already been back? It isn't normal to leave the premises unguarded.

With my curiosity rising as each second passes, Sheele and I approached the mansion cautiously, wary of any ambushes that may have been placed. What if those guys were already here before us. Could the target have already been killed.

Realising what may have happened, I sprinted towards the front door of the mansion. Without any clarification, I pushed open the front door to the mansion. Corpses are strewn all over the floor. Down the corridor, I can hear the faint sounds of fighting. It seems the other party has yet to take down the target. We would be able to determine the identity of these people who has been stealing our jobs and also ascertain their motives.

I ran towards the source of the noise. The sounds grew louder and louder with each step I take.

I signaled to Sheele to ready our weapons. We ran into a group of people weapons drawn, killing anyone that got in our way.

This may take a while, considering the amount of people present.

 **…**

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

I admit. I wasn't ready.

I was paired with Joker for my current mission. On our way, I have talked to him about the bathroom incident that he got me into. Well, it's more like me talking all the time. His mask hid all of his facial features, making it impossible for me to discern what expression he is currently wearing. The only clue I got as to how he feels was the shrug of his shoulders. He must have felt apologetic, right?

Well, we got to our destination earlier than we had expected and begin our work. Joker pointed me to one of the doors down the endless corridor of the mansion. I had thought that he was telling me, in his own way, that the target we were suppose to kill was behind that door. With not even the slightest doubt, I opened that door, only for a few dozen pair of eyes to focus on me.

This was the room where most of the guards of the mansion was stationed. Of course, seeing an unfamiliar face and also a sword strapped to his waist, it didn't take long for them to connect the dots. What happened next was the longest chase of my life. I could swear that I have ran through the entire mansion just to shake them off. It didn't work.

There was a large number of guards hired in the mansion, and they displayed excellent teamwork. It didn't take long before they had me cornered. With no other choice, and my partner gone to who knows where, I unsheathe my gladius. (A/N: Gladius is a type of shortsword)

I slashed at the guards, all the while running throughout the mansion. Joker was already gone. I doubt this is a prank, considering how I could be killed if I became careless. Perhaps he has a plan.

For now, I did the best I could to survive.

Perhaps it was by coincidence, I found myself on the third floor of the mansion. My hit-and-run tactics must have brought me to a higher ground. The amount of guards in this mansion is shocking. If I were to kill one, two more would replace the one who has fallen. There seem to be a never-ending amount. I was already cornered. Swarms of guards blocked my escape as well as every corridor I could have ran to.

I stopped running. I placed my sword in front of my vision. I looked for any opening I could exploit in the guards. I could see some of them being out of breath. Their stamina must have ran out when they were chasing me.

Without hesitation, I charged towards the closest guard who was panting. He was taken aback for a moment, before he steeled himself for my attacks. I swung my sword horizontally, which he blocked with his sword. The other guards also charged towards me, possibly to attack me all at once. I swept under his feet, causing the guard to fall. I changed the sword in my hand into a reverse grip and stabbed downwards, straight into his neck.

Not wasting any more time, I pulled out the blade and charged towards the next guard. I thrust my blade forwards, hoping to stab him. He had tried to attack me, hoping I would abandon my stab and block his strike. I simply ducked under his swing and stabbed him in his shoulder. I pushed him off of my blade. Another guard charged at me, which I moved away from his path. I avoided the slash of his blade and plunged my blade into the place where his heart would be.

I continued my fight for survival. Avoiding every strike that came for me and attacking when there was an opening. This didn't last long, as I could see one of the guards in the corner of my eyes raise his sword. I can't dodge or block the blade, considering how I am currently occupied with the other guards around me. If he swings it down, I'll be seriously injured, and even end up dead.

I need to do something.

Of course, I exerted more strength on my sword, pushing away one of the guard. I raised my sword towards the guard who had his sword raised, hoping to block his swing. Though my sword was already in place, his sword was still above his head. His eyes were focused on something else. In fact, all of the attention of the guards are fixated on something else.

Someone on the other side are killing the guards, and at an alarming rate. I need to escape. We were briefed that there are other assassins from Night Raid who might be our enemies. We need to avoid having a confrontation with them or things would become troublesome for us, or so Hikari says.

I looked around me. Some of the guards around me were wearing the expressions of fear on their faces. I need to find Joker and inform him about what has happened. I started running towards the office of the noble, which was located on the top floor. Anyone who tried to get in my way would get a sword in their body and left lying on the ground.

However, since most of the guards were focused on the attacker, I was given a relatively safe passage through the mansion and eventually reached the office of the owner of the mansion. I pushed open the door. The dead body of the noble lay in the centre of the room. I looked around the room. It was a very spacious room, with book-filled shelves standing against one of the walls in the room. It was very neat, if I were to ignore the blood stains on the floor and wall. Joker was rummaging through the shelves for something. His eyes didn't even dart towards my direction when I entered.

"Look, we got to go. There seems to be other people present in this mansion. They could be the ones Hikari warned us about." I exclaimed.

Joker turned towards me and nodded. He grabbed some of the books that were on the shelves and placed them into a sling bag which he brought along. I didn't see clearly what sort of content was placed in the bag, but they seemed important, considering how he took an extra effort to not damage it. I shut the door, hoping to at least be able to run without them knowing which way we went.

Joker packed everything and nodded to me, signalling to me that he was ready. We ran towards the window and jumped. I braced myself for the landing. It hurts, but it was bearable, considering how I rolled upon contact with the floor.

I picked myself up from the ground and ran. Joker was leading the way, bringing me towards an alternate route that they commonly use to escape any pursuers. We took a sharp left, then continued running through the alleyways. Joker signalled to me to split up, hopefully to increase our chance of escaping successfully. He motioned to meet up at the base outside of the Capital and ran into another alleyway, leaving me alone. I thought to myself. First, I need to go somewhere crowded. The only place which is crowded right now should be the Red Light District. It leads directly to the South Gate of the Capital. I really don't want to go there, but for the sake of not being caught, I am left with no other choice.

I ran, putting all I have into each step. I looked back. There was someone who was following me. Since I was moving, I can't see her clearly. I don't intend to find out who she is. My mind is in disarray, providing me all kinds of suggestions. The voices in my head are ringing louder than ever. They were constantly chanting how I would fail, how I would die, how I would suffer. I ignored them, or at least tried to.

No matter how I tried to lose my pursuer, she would always find me. Is this what they call unlucky? I pulled the hood of my jacket over my head and ran into the crowd of people within the Red Light District. Everywhere, people crowded the area. There were people everywhere, and also many things not safe for children. In the corner, I can see a brothel, with men of all ages entering the premise. In the alleyways were people in suits and tie with sunglasses. They were standing on guard, preventing me from seeing what was going on in that alleyway. I ran past all of this, not stopping for anything. Every corner that I turn would just lead to another den of criminals.

Ignoring my surroundings, I reached the South end of the District. Just a few streets more and I would reach the South Gate. There were lesser people here as compared to the Red Light District.

I looked behind me again, only to find my pursuer still on my tail. The faith that I had clung to moments before had slowly faded, replaced by uncertainty and doubt. Will I make it out alive? My chest hurts. Each breath becomes more and more laboured. My movements are no longer as agile as before. I am surprised that I was even able to run for so long without stopping. I ran past the Gate and headed for towards the East, where a dense forest exist. The southern side of the Capital does have forests, but they weren't as dense as the ones on the east side of the Capital.

Anyways, the forest around the South Gate of the Capital would be my last hope of losing my pursuer. It risks having our base of operations revealed, but I'm certain that they are smart enough to hide the entrance. I have never been to the base outside of the Capital, since I was made to look after the shop. They did give us a rough description of where it would be, but it was sketchy.

How do you expect someone to know where it is when you say that it would be 'in a clearing in the middle of a forest'. There could be many clearings in the forest.

Since my mind was working tirelessly, I tripped. I didn't pay attention to my surroundings. I tried to stand up, but I pushed myself away instead. A blade was embedded firmly into the ground seconds later. If I had not moved, I would have been stabbed. I wasted no time and tried to stand up. The pommel of the sword was slammed into my stomach, knocking all of the air out of it.

I can't inhale, and it hurts a lot. I kicked the person in the stomach, but was blocked by the blade of the sword. I took a closer look at my attacker. I have met her before. Raven black hair, blood red eyes. Just like before, her eyes were lacking of any emotions. I was unsure why I wasn't killed in that encounter back then, but I doubt she would let me off this time.

Putting all of my weight onto the sword, I pushed myself away from her. I landed onto the ground a few meters away from her. I drew my sword and put it before me, ready for any attacks she may have.

She dashed towards me, releasing strike after strike on my sword. I tried my best to withstand it, but failed. The strength behind each strike was tremendous. Eventually, the sword was knocked out of my hand. The tip of the blade was raised to my neck. I was forced to raise my hands, signaling my intention for surrender. She moved the blade closer, forcing me to take a step back, then another, and another. Eventually, my back was touching a tree. I have lost any chance to escape.

"Who are you?" she asked me.

She must have wanted to confirm my identity, then ask about my affiliations with Hikari and the others.

The voices in my head are now chanting, chanting for me to be killed. It keeps getting louder and louder, before their voices were the only thing I can think of. A splitting headache erupted in my mind. The chants were louder, and louder. I could hear it. I was like as if there were thousands of people around me chanting that one word. That one word that was constantly on my mind at present moment. I was no longer able to think rationally. I clutched my head, hoping to drone out the voices. They were getting louder and louder. My surroundings was slowly losing color. Everything around me was blurry. I can't see clearly. I tried squinting my eyes to regain my sight, but it wasn't working. My vision was slowly fading to black. I wasn't sure if I was already unconscious, or if I was just incapable of seeing. I could see that dream again. The one I have had this morning.

I was standing on the surface of the black liquid. Before me, was me. Every feature of myself was reflected onto the person before me. The only difference was his eyes. Just like before, the sclera, the iris of his eyes were black. It was the darkest shade of black I have seen. It looked like light could have been absorbed into them. His expression reflected boredom. He walked towards me and stopped just a few distance away from me. The mass of black liquid and gas was no longer there.

I started sinking. No, sinking isn't accurate. I was dragged down into the black liquid. The skeletons of people were squirming underneath the ocean of black liquid. Their hands were reaching out of the surface of the liquid and latched firmly onto my legs. I tried to struggle, but was not able to. It only caused me to sink further. I was sinking, and can do nothing to stop it.

This procession was observed by me. The other me. The corner of his lips were lifted upwards to reveal a twisted grin. The black liquid has already reached my neck. I was panicking. I can't feel anything below my neck. The liquid was slowly climbing. It reached my mouth. I tried holding my breath, but it never worked. I was forced to eventually let out whatever air I had been holding. The black liquid begin to flood into my mouth. I breathed it in. I was suffocating. I can see white spots in the corner of my vision. The last thing I saw before being swallowed by the black liquid was that same mass of black liquid and gas hovering in the air above me. It had formed into something. Something I had never seen before. I was unable to determine what it was, but it gives off an aura of despair.

My world blacked out, or at least lost all of the light.

Am I dead, or am I alive? What's going to happen to me? This was the last thing I can think of, before the world around me faded back to nothingness and eternal darkness. I was once again, in that pitch dark void. Drifting, until I awake again. Whenever that may be.

Though I feel that if I were to awake again, things would become very dangerous.

 **…**

{Akame's Perspective}

I slashed at the last guard that was in the hallway. The tatoos begin to climb out of the wound that I had inflicted on him. I went all the way to his head, before it stopped spreading. I had seen someone run off during the fight. He must have went for our target.

I motioned for Sheele to head for the target. Sheele and I ran to the top floor, where the office of the noble resides. I pushed open the door. The noble was already dead. His corpse was lying in the middle of the room. I looked around the place. Books from the shelves were scattered on the floor around the shelves. There was no one in the room. The windows were open.

It seems he has jumped out of the window. I ran over to the window, only to see two figures running away from the mansion.

"They're running away."

I jumped out of the window and chased after the two.

At some point, the two of them split up, maybe in an attempt to decrease the chance of being caught. I motioned to Sheele to chase after one of them while I chased after the other. He ran through the alleyways, into the main street, into the Red Light District and out of the South Gate of the Capital.

He had ran into the forest. I was surprised that he could run for so long. Most professional assassins have trouble with running constantly for long distance, so for him being able to do so was simply astounding.

Maybe it was fatigue, or it was sheer bad luck, he fell. He must have tripped on the uneven surface of the forest floor. This gave me the time need to catch up to him. I drew my sword and stabbed him while he was on the ground.

It found its way into the forest floor. He had pushed himself away at some point. He had tried to stand up, which I didn't give him the chance to do. The pommel of my sword was sent into his stomach. He raised his legs and tried to kick me, hoping make me stay away. I lifted the sword and blocked his kick with the blade. He, instead exerted more force onto the blade. He jumped with his other leg, and using the leg that was blocked by my sword, he jumped again away from me. Once he landed, his sword was already out of its sheathe.

I rushed at him with a furious torrent of attacks. He did a very good job trying to not get hit. I exerted more strength into each strike, and successfully knocked his sword out of his hand. I lifted the sword and let the tip of the blade rest around his throat. He got his hands up, signaling his intent to surrender. I must be careful and not kill him, not until we have all information he knows out of him. I took a step forwards, and he instinctively took a step back. This continued until he was cornered into a tree. I can't have him run away when I'm off-guard, if he can lower my guard that is.

"Who are you?"

This should be the best way to to start an interrogation. Ask for his identity, and find out his affiliations. He is the only lead we got. His hood was still covering his face, making it hard for me to discern his facial features.

He said nothing, nor did anything. He was shaking though. Maybe he trying to cry, or is he frightened? That couldn't be. He was trained in combat. He should know the difference between practice and actual combat. I raised my sword and used it to take off his hood.

The face underneath the hood was someone I did not expect. I've seen him before. That kid at the Harvard Mansion. What's he doing here? And did he become an assassin? So many questions flooded my mind. He looked like he was in a trance. His eyes are distant.

Is he okay?

Maybe it was my imagination, but is his eyes turning darker? The temperature around me rose. The grass around us started to redden, and then turned black. Something isn't right here. What is he trying to do?

On instinct, I jumped back. The ground where I was standing on burst into blue flames. I looked back at the boy in front of me. He still hasn't moved, or made any intention to run. It was like as if he was possessed.

I don't like what would happen next. With my sword ready, I charged at him. The pommel of my sword slammed into where his solar plexus would be. I wanted to knock him unconscious. Hopefully, by doing so whatever he was doing would stop. The boy fell onto ground face down.

Yet nothing seems to have changed. The grass around the unconscious boy starts emitting trails of steam. Eventually, that area started burning with blue flames. The boy, perhaps awoken due to the pain, started screaming. Some of his skin on his arms were burnt off and melted, revealing the flesh underneath. Black fluid began to flow out of his exposed flesh. It started flowing, covering itself over the boy like a second skin. It was surreal.

This boy has obtained an Imperial Arm.

The black substance hardened, and begin to morph. It changed into an armor.

The flames started to flow into the cracks that appeared on the armor after it has hardened. It took a few moments, but eventually all of the blue flames in the surrounding went into the armor. Since the cracks were still present, a blue light was emanating from within the armor. Blue light underneath the helmet, which I perceives as eyes stared at me.

This is the black knight that Mine has been talking about. It was surprising that it had been the boy that I saw at the mansion before.

I wondered why I had not killed him, or at least recruit him back then. If I had done something back then, wouldn't this situation here been prevented?

I lifted my blade and charged.

The black knight before lifted his hands and reached into a region of black space that was beside him. His hands went in, and pulled out a sword. It was midnight black, with purple veins on the blade. The blade of the sword was emitting a black aura. It was like as if the blade was consuming the light around it.

By the time I reached him, his sword was already out. I stabbed forwards, only for him to block with the flat of the blade. I wasted no time and pulled the sword back, and stabbed again. His sword would block every strike. I tried again. I swung the blade horizontally, and he parried.

He stabbed. It would have worked, if I had not jumped back. He chased after me, launching a flurry of strikes as he does so. I evaded most of his strikes. The ones that I can't avoid would be blocked by my sword.

I need to end the fight quickly, and fortunately for me I have just the weapon for it. My sword, Murasame has a deadly poison in the blade, which has no cure. Just one cut from the blade and it is more than enough to kill someone.

I brought my sword out. If I can cripple his defense, I would be able to stab the blade through the cracks in the armor, killing him.

The boy had potential. If he was not caught today, he could have attained the skills that would rival the Great General. It seems like a waste, but in our current fight it is either him or me that survives. I could just run away, knowing how he looks like but we are unsure if we can find him again now that he knows we are aware of his identity. Killing him would ensure that he would not become a threat to us in the future, and his Imperial Arm could be retrieved and use in the coming war against the Empire.

He swung his sword horizontally, which I responded with a parry, which used all of my strength. My parry revealed an opening, which I intend to make use of. I pushed my sword into the cracks in the breastplate. He jolted for a few seconds, before he fell forwards face first. He landed with a thud, and remained motionless.

I sheathe my blade and walked away. I have taken yet another life. I remembered back to the night where I first saw the boy. His eyes back then reflected pain, like as if he had lost someone dear to him. Yet at the same time, there was also something else.

Relief. Like as if a burden was taken off of his shoulders.

I have no idea what he went through, but I doubt he would feel sad and relieved at the same time.

The sound of movement broke me out of my reverie. What was that? There was no one here with us, which could only mean t-

I jumped away from where I was, and the spot where I had stood was replaced with a blade. I turned back to the black knight, to see him standing just a few metres away from me. He must have thrown his blade at me. He went over to retrieve his sword.

How is this possible. I was sure I have stabbed through his flesh. He couldn't have survived. The poison spreads fast and has no cure for it.

My sword was out of its sheathe and I prepare for his strikes. He picked up his sword. The flames within his armor started to emerge and swirl around the blade of the sword. He raised his sword vertically above his helmet. A pillar of blue flames that connected from his sword to the skies was formed. The trees and grass around me started turning black, before it broke. It turned into black particles, before it floated into the armor. That pillar of blue flame is bound to attract attention.

The pillar of blue flame was eventually brought down onto me.

For the first time since joining Night Raid, I was drowned by fear and hopelessness. I was unable to do anything to save myself, before blue was the color that flooded my vision.

 **…**

 _Elsewhere_

{Third Person's Perspective}

It was night time, yet a single pillar of blue light was present in the skies. It was not as bright as the sun, but was bright enough to capture the attention of the people throughout the lands.

In one of the cities in the Eastern Nation, a girl peeked through the glass of her mansion. Her eyes landed on the phenomenon in the sky. Her face displayed awe, before changing into a grin.

"I've finally found you, Onii-sama."

* * *

 **Finally, this chapter is done.**

 **Let me explain the contents of this chapter.**

 **First of all, Tatsumi has no idea he had a teigu. This was the first reason why he was unable to control his teigu. If he had known, he could have been prepared. Second reason was that his mental fortitude was really low. He was constantly troubled by the fact his friends were dead because of how weak he is. This makes him easily swayed, since all someone had to do was say that his friends would have wanted him to do something for him to actually do it. With such a weak mental fortitude, it was no surprise why every time his teigu makes itself known, it was always in control and why he can't be the one in control, even if he ad known of his teigu.**

 **Next, why does Tatsumi's teigu so overpowered. It has so many abilities, and yet all the other teigus can even compare to his. Well let me clarify this. His teigu is special. Without a doubt, it has an array of abilities. But there is a price for all this. There is no free lunch in this world, and everything has a price. Even if he doesn't know he have been using it, it is still his responsibility. Don't like it? Boo hoo. Life is unfair.**

 **Like I have said at the start of the story, Tatsumi's past isn't simple. It not just his parents died and he was left an orphan. There is…..more. For now, I would stop elaborating on this. Remember the hammer he found earlier? Like the hammer that turned into black liquid? Well, that is a teigu, but not the one he is currently using. Again, I won't go too deep into this.**

 **I may give the characters in this story, like the member of Wild Hunt , Night Raid and so on different backgrounds and personalities. They will be severely out of character.**

 **Okay, enough of the contents. Let's talk about plans for this story.**

 **The prequel for this story, which is basically a collection of the backgrounds of each character in this fanfiction, will be out by this week. I have planned to write this as a way to help you understand the characters better. It will mostly be about my OCs, and some of the characters where I severely changed their backgrounds as compared to the canon version.**

 **The Oreimo FanFiction is released together with this chapter, so I would really appreciate it you guys were to check it out and comment on how I could improve. I am really lacking in ideas as of current moment on how to further progress the plot. I have wanted to make it slice-of-life for some parts, but have no idea what to write. It will help if you guys can send me some stories or ideas via PM. For now, I am watching anime for some ideas.**

 **Thank you for reading and have a good day!**


	17. Chapter 17: Hunter or Hunted IV

_Volume 2: Chapter 4: Hunter or Hunted IV_

{Lubbock's Perspective}

I am happy. Very happy.

Since I was the only medic in the team, or at least the one who possess the most medical knowledge and experience, I was asked to take care of our recently injured member instead of going on missions. This would mean that I am alone, at base with Najenda-san. (A/N: I decided that Lubbock's way of calling Najenda shall be Najenda-san, so as to follow the canon.)

Of course, one issue was that our patient's condition was still in the red. Although his breathing has stabilised, we never know when it will act up again. He has been this way ever since our combat with the Three Beasts of Esdeath. He had been in a coma ever since our last fight. Since we do not know much about when he would be waking up, Najenda-san has arranged for a transport back to the main Headquarters in the South.

The letter was sent via birds, and the transport was expected to reach sometime tomorrow. Najenda-san will be bringing the Imperial Arms that was collected from the Three Beasts, as well as information of third parties and our recent patient, Bulat, back to Headquarters. The transport is said to be a Danger Beast. Since the Headquarters of the Revolutionary Army is situated in the nest of Air Mantas, it was no surprise.

Air Mantas are considered an S-Class Danger Beast due to how hard it is to kill just one of them. They are capable of flight despite of their large sizes. There were researchers who studied on how they fly. According to the reports they published which I happen to read, an Air Manta doesn't fly, but simply glide in the air. While they are gliding, they would emit large amounts of air downwards in a short period of time, allowing them to maintain constant altitude in the air. Their meat were sold at very high prices, and were considered a luxury.

It was already dark. Everyone were still outside, on their missions. I was currently getting every opportunity I could find to be more useful to Najenda-san. The reply I got was to keep watch on Bulat, in case his condition worsen. Bulat was considered an asset to the team, due to his skills as a soldier and his mastery of his Imperial Arm. Bulat was also known by another name. The Hundred Man-Slayer Bulat. It appears this title doesn't cover the full extent of his achievements. Liver, one of the Three Beasts and his former superior has claimed that Bulat killed 128 people from the Special Forces of the Western Kingdom. This earned him his title, as well as a promotion to a high ranking Imperial Officer in the Imperial Army. Another part of his past that we knew later on was that Bulat trained under Gensei, the strongest soldier during his prime.

Although we have managed to slay the Three Beasts and retrieve their Imperial Arms, which greatly helped out by boosting the offensive capabilities of the Revolutionary Army. The price of such a success was Bulat being critically injured and poisoned. Liver, who revealed himself as one of the Three Beasts, had injected poison together with drugs into his blood. The drug serves to boost his physical capabilities and he was able to fight against Bulat in terms of physical strength when they have reached the limit of using their respective Imperial Arms. Of course, there is a limit to how much the drug lasts, and it wasn't long before Bulat starts to gain the upper hand. Bulat was able to draw blood, which was what Liver wanted.

Since blood is a liquid and contains water, Liver used whatever strength he had left to control his blood, sending a barrage of blood blades and fired towards Bulat. Bulat was able to deflect most of the attacks. Of course, some got past his defense and impaled into him. Since there was poison in the blood, Bulat was thought to be dying, or so they thought. I was able to defeat Nyau using somewhat unorthodox techniques with my Imperial Arms, and this allowed me to stop blood flow from where he was injured. This saved his life, but for how long is uncertain. He had been in a coma ever since I transported him back to our Headquarters. Sometimes he would suddenly spasm, and we would have to control him, while other times he would stop breathing, so he have to apply appropriate life-saving measures on him. Someone has to monitor him constantly. Thus, I landed up being left at base which I don't mind.

I looked at the clock that hangs on the wall. It was already late night. I really want to fall asleep, and I could have done so if it weren't for the piercing light that shines through the window.

Wait….what? Light?

I ran to the window. I peered outside. In the sky, connecting to the ground below, was a pillar emitting blue light.

With questions in my head, I snapped out of my thoughts and ran to the office of Najenda-san.

 **...**

{Akame's Perspective}

Blue. The only color in my vision. I can only stare, as I wait for my impending doom.

The colors got brighter, and brighter. I was unable to ascertain it was due to the color, or just temporary blindness. Either way, it didn't matter. I'll be dead in a matter of seconds.

I was told that many would think about the things they regret before their deaths. Thinking about the things they wished they did and the things they didn't do. I wonder what mine would be? If I were to guess, it would be dying before Kurome. We had promised each other to kill each other in the future.

Can I die just like this? Of course not. I can't just die here, with regret in my heart. If I were to die, it would be after I have killed her, after I have destroyed the Empire, after the Revolutionary Army won.

I felt something land slam itself into the ground beside me. I could feel the wind blowing against my face, before I pushed away by this wind and landed onto the ground. My vision has yet to return, so I have no idea what happened. I could hear the distant sounds of fighting.

I closed my eyes, hoping to have my sight adjust faster. It took a while, but it is working. I opened my eyes. There were still white spots in my sight, but at least I can see my surroundings. I looked around. There was a line of blue flames that burnt fiercely. The trees and grass around that fire were turned black, and some crumbled into ashes, before it floated away towards the flame.

How was I not struck by that attack earlier? I tried to piece together the possibilities. I could have survived because the strike missed me. If this is true, this explains the thing that slammed into the ground beside me, before I was knocked away. Sounds of metal rang out in the surroundings.

I looked to where I had heard fighting. Someone was engaging the black knight in battle. He was covered head to toe in heavy armor. There was not even a single piece of flesh exposed. I was surprised he was able to move even while wearing that amount of armor.

He tried to punch the black knight away, but it was blocked by his sword. Even though it was blocked, I could see that the black knight was pushed back. It seems this guy in heavy armor possess incredible strength. The black knight tried to regain his footing, but his opponent gave him no chance. His opponent ran towards him, and launched another punch on him. This time, since his footing wasn't stable, he was unable to block properly. His opponent landed a punch on his abdomen, causing cracks to appear on the armor. The cracks started spreading, before the armor broke after another successful punch was landed.

The black armor fell to the ground in pieces, revealing the boy from before. The boy fell to the ground, unconscious. The armor pieces started to turn back into a pool of black liquid, gathering itself around the boy, before it went into his mouth.

The guy dressed in full heavy armor picked up the boy, before proceeding to run away. Not wanting them to get away, I picked up my sword and ran after them. Once I got near, I swung my sword, only to hear a resounding clang as metal met metal. The frustrating thing was how not a single dent or mark could be found on the armor after I have made that swing.

This seems to capture the attention of whoever was in the armor. He turned around, abruptly stopping his run. I ran forwards and stabbed. I cannot allow them to escape. I had such a good chance to get information out of them.

Now that this is no longer a viable option for me, the only other way would be to kill them. The boy has a very volatile Imperial Arm. It seem to me that he can't control it. If I can kill him, it would ensure that it would not be used against us in the future, or at least until another suitable user appears. Whenever that may be, it would buy us time.

My blade travelled towards the helmet. There seem to be small gaps in the helmet for eyes. It seem to be wide enough for me to stab through. The blade of my sword inches forwards, before it was stopped in its path. The tip of the sword was stabbed into his palm. I moved my sword back and attacked him on another spot on his armor.

That was what would have happened, if I didn't find a fist moving towards my face. I pushed myself away. The fist narrowly missed my head. I jumped back a few metres, hoping to gain some distance between us. I was in a disadvantage. My opponent was wearing thick armor which cover every part of his body. It seems his equipment was made to counter my Imperial Arm. If he were some other person, I would have been able to kill them with just a single cut. The poison in the blade of Murasame is fast-acting, killing the person in just seconds. Although I prefer to not rely on the poison, I have to admit the poison is pretty useful in some situations. The only downside is when I accidentally cut myself. This is why I take extra care every time I do maintenance on the blade.

Since my opponent wears thick armor, I am unable to kill him easily. His armor also seemed impregnable. I may need to strike a few more times to crack it. I readied my sword. I charged forwards. He swung his gauntlet down onto me. I moved to the side to evade, before slamming my sword into his breastplate. My blade bounced harmlessly off of his armor.

I tried again and again. I slashed diagonally, horizontally and vertically, all the while evading his attacks. I had wanted to kill the boy that was on his shoulders, but can't. His hand would always get in the way every time my blade was swung towards him.

I kept slashing. All on the same spot. There was a dent, but nothing more. There wasn't even a crack. How tough is this armor, and who made it? It doesn't seem like an Imperial Arm so there should be a way for me to defeat him.

I stabbed my sword towards the helmet, hoping to be able to stab through the face hole. It was deflected away by his right hand. This is really frustrating. Even if an opening was to show itself, it means nothing if I can't injure him. I jumped away to avoid a punch to my face. He rushed towards me, not giving me any time to recover from his last attack. I tried to use my blade to block, and was knocked away. I pushed my body forwards so that I won't fall on my back. Using this chance, my opponent started charging into the forest. I tried my best to catch up to him, but maybe it was due to the distance between us, I was unable to catch up to him. Eventually I lost him.

I continued searching through the forest, hoping to be able to find them again. I gave up eventually and head back to base on the other side of the Capital.

I walked into the forest that surrounds the area where our base of operations was hidden in. It was still dark, with minimal amounts of light. My eyes are still hurting from the light show earlier. Every step I took was unstable and several times I could have fell over if I hadn't regain my balance in time.

I walked through the forest, making sure avoid most of the strings that Lubbock had placed in the forest. It wasn't long before I arrived at base. It will still take a couple of hours before the sun would start to make its daily route over the sky. I pushed open the door. Several pair of eyes darted towards my direction, before most of them rested back on whatever they were previously fixated on.

"Akame! You're back!" Mine exclaimed.

I nodded, and proceeded to sit at the table hoping that this would help me recover faster.

"Are you okay? What happened?" This time it was Leone who asked.

"I encountered them, the ones who has been stealing our kills."

For the next few minutes, I gave them a summary of my experiences tonight. I talked about the origin of that pillar of blue light, the fact that boy I encountered a few weeks back at the Harvard mission was the mystery Black Knight that had saved Sheele and Mine, how he wasn't dead even though he was stabbed by my Imperial Arm and he was affiliated with the white haired assassin.

There was that moment of silence again that was born everytime we learn something new. This lasted even more than usual. It was expected, since there was so much information being transpired. Someone who can survive a cut from my Imperial Arm is impossible. It is just not possible. The poison is potent and would kill any who was cut by the blade.

"It seems like there was more information that I need to report to the higher-ups in the Revolutionary Army. I will give you every detail you need to know once I get back from headquarters. For now, I want every member to be on standby. Treat this like a break. It has become too dangerous to be in the Capital. The mission I gave you still stands, if you encounter the white-haired assassin or any of his allies, kill them."

We nodded. For the first time, my appetite which would always be there when I completed my missions is no longer there. Perhaps the dizziness was the cause. I stood up and headed to my room. Maybe I'll turn in early tonight, though it was already late in the night.

 **…**

{Hikari's Perspective}

It seems Tatsumi can't control his Imperial Arm. I had thought, and hoped, that if given some time, Tatsumi can bring his Imperial Arm under control. It seems those were wishful thinking. I even made him undergo harsh training hoping to build up his physical and mental fortitude. It seems none of these worked.

From the previous few times, I assume Tatsumi loses control, or at least use his Imperial Arm, in life or death situations, or when he goes through incidents which cause him to lose his ability to think rationally.

Well, I wonder what I should do to help him bring his Imperial Arm under control. His Imperial Arm is pretty unique. I don't think I have heard of it anywhere. I had sent a report to my superiors who are stationed elsewhere in the Empire asking about Tatsumi's Imperial Arm. Their response was that his Imperial Arm was not recorded in the records which dated back to the time of the First Emperor. It was surprising, but my superiors had said that there could have been changes. Nearly a thousand years has passed, and the Imperial Arms could have been very different from their original form. This was evident and the only logical answer. Incursio was said to evolve, adapting to their current wielders ability. I contemplated whether to inform Tatsumi about his possession of an Imperial Arm. It was unknown how he would react to such a news. It was evident he really wanted to own one. Telling him would result him in being reckless.

I continued walking through the Capital, towards the only base we had in the Capital.

I wonder how my other comrades are doing. It has been a couple of years since we even met each other. Our orders were to split up, maintain minimum contact through letters, monitor the city or organisation that each member is in charge of and gather members to our side to aid us in our mission. On paper, our group was supposed to have been disbanded upon the death of the previous Emperor, but the truth was that we had been secretly ordered to complete another mission, one that requires us to go off the radar and be completely forgotten, though not many people knew about our group in the first place.

I arrived at the base. Pushing open the door, my eyes landed on the three girls that Manic and Tatsumi had brought back behind the counter. For now, I asked them if they could help out around the shop, tending to the business. Of course, they would be paid for their work. They readily accepted the offer. As a form of insurance, I made sure that there would always be someone who helps them. Some of our customers…...let's just say they are motivated by the wrong reasons.

Giving them a nod, I walk into the lounge. Blade sat on one of the couches, tinkering with some gadgetry in his hands. Joker was around the fridge, maybe trying to find something to eat. I walked towards the counter next to the fridge and poured myself a glass of water. I downed the glass in one gulp.

According to what Juggernaut had reported, Tatsumi's appearance has been seen by Night Raid, and ultimately the Revolutionary Army. It seems the Empire has yet to pick up on what had actually happened in the past few hours from the incident that Tatsumi had caused when he, yet again, lost control of his Imperial Arm. Undoubtedly, the Jaegers would be definitely involved to find out what happened.

The Jaegers are supposed to be an independent police force that General Esdeath is personally in charge of. They are given specials rights that the Imperial Police does not possess, such as access to classified materials that would normally be accessible if one were to receive permission from the current Emperor himself.

The Capital has turned into a much more treacherous place than before. I should warn Tatsumi about the consequences that he would be facing from now onwards when he wakes up. It is best if he don't show his face around the Capital often.

I wonder if any of my other comrades are facing similar problems on their end?

This just got troublesome.

 **…**

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

There was endless pits of blue flames everywhere. Blue flames were bursting out of the ground in some areas, and continued to burn brightly, as if trying its hardest to not be extinguished. For who knows how long, I was walking. Walking towards an unknown destination. I could see some objects in the distance, but couldn't make out what they are. I kept walking towards those objects. These objects became clearer with every step I take.

They were crosses. It numbered to a total of five. There were people who were chained onto it. The black chains kept them in place, nails covered in rust were firmly hammered into their palms. Wounds littered throughout their bodies, as if they had been through a meat grinder. They were blindfolded and their body and faces contorted in extreme amounts of pain. They were suffering. Yet no blood flowed out of their wounds. (A/N: Yes it's like the cross that Jesus was crucified on. There was a reason why it has to be a cross. If you are offended by this, PM me and I'll change it.)

"Disturbing, isn't it?"

I turned around towards the voice.

It was the me with black eyes. He pointed to one of the crosses which was supposedly empty.

"The only reason that you're still not up there was because of your extreme luck. It seems that you have been rejecting us, unwilling to accept our gifts." He said

What is he talking about? Luck? Rejecting? Gifts?

"Oh, it seems you are still unaware. Well, We're willing to wait. We are very patient. After all, the concept of time doesn't affect us. Take as much time as you want, "

Again with the one-sided conversation. What is he even talking about? What am I supposed to be aware of?

"For now, sleep. Go back to your sleep. Come again once you have established and completed the contract."

My surroundings started to blur, colors started to mix together, resulting in an image that only spawn a migraine the more I look at it. My head hurts. It hurts so much. It was like someone was pounding my head with a hammer. I thought back to his words, and what they could mean. It doesn't help shed light on anything. All I would receive would be even more questions.

Is there anyone with the answers, or am I supposed to figure them out myself?

 **…**

{Esdeath's Perspective}

I walked towards the crime scene. Ever since that light appeared at the South Gate of the Capital last night, the Imperial Police and my Jaegers has been working overtime, trying their best to gather any evidence that may be useful in help to figure out the exact details of what had happened last night before and after the pillar of light occurred.

By the time we arrived, the entire place was burnt to a crisp, with traces of steam rising up from the ground. The trees was already burnt black, and grass was already turned to cinders. Yet there was no one around that was responsible for it.

For course, naturally I was keeping in my excitement. How could I not be excited when someone displayed such an amazing feat yesterday. It excites me even more when I think of how strong he may actually be.

Doctor Stylish was openly showing his excitement, talking about how 'stylish' the pillar of light yesterday was. He was the first Jaeger to arrive yesterday, bringing with him some of his subordinates and equipments to examine the scene. He seem to have found some clues, but when asked he would always claim that he found nothing.

He seems to be withholding information, but I can't call him out on it. It was more of a hunch, a gut feeling. There isn't any evidence to support my claim, and accusing him without evidence would only lead to distrust towards me from my other subordinates, which is something I don't want.

For now, I'll just keep an eye out for any weird activities that he would be involved in. I walked towards Doctor Stylish, who was busy fiddling with some weird apparatus. There were some people by his side, assisting him in searching for clues.

"Doctor Stylish. Have you found anything?" I asked.

"Nothing, General Esdeath. I have still found nothing. There seems to have been a fire last night, which burnt all the possible clues to ashes. Even searching by scent doesn't seem to work, since the smell of burnt things still lingers in the air." Doctor Stylish explained.

"I see. Inform me if you find any clues."

Again, the same reply entered my ears. I wonder why I'm frustrated. Since when was finding someone so hard. I should probably tighten the security in the Capital. Maybe have guards stationed at the Gates of the Capital to increase the chances of the culprit escaping.

I could see Wave and Seryu walking towards me in the distance. Probably giving me a report of their findings.

I relayed my thoughts to the two of them when they got near.

"Seryu, I need you to inform the Imperial Police to tighten the security at the Gates of the Capital, make sure to have everyone going in and out of the Capital undergo checks for any suspicious person or things."

After issuing my orders, Seryu did a salute, and dashed off enthusiastically towards one of the Imperial Police Officers on site. Wave went off to where Doctor Stylish is to help him out.

If I was not mistaken, there seem to have been more nobles being assassinated as of late. I have asked Kurome and Run to investigate on where Night Raid and this third party would strike next.

I wonder when I can fight again. I am really itching for a fight these days. I wonder why? Could it be due to the appearance of people with unknown strength? Or maybe it's because I have been idle for too long.

Whatever the reason, I just hope I get to fight soon.

 **…**

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

My eyes shot open and darted around the room I find myself in.

Like every other time, I found myself in an unknown environment. The walls were made of stone, and the lighting in the room comes from the torch that hung on the walls. I pushed myself up from where I was lying on. A makeshift bed that was just simply a piece of fabric that was laid onto the floor. I looked for an exit, which revealed itself to me in the form of a large opening on one of the walls.

I walked towards that exit, and once I reached it, I peeked outside. There seem to not be anyone around. I looked to my left and right. The exit seem to lead to some corridor. It really seem to be endless. I can't seem to know which way is the correct way, so I took a gamble and walked to the right upon coming out of the room I was in.

I walked, until I found myself at a crossroad. It darted to the left and to the right. I contemplated which way to go. One of these two roads would lead me to where I should go, right?

I once again took a right, and kept walking. It was a very long corridor, with the occasional torch on the wall lighting my way. I made sure to open every door that I come across on my journey. One door led to a hot spring bath, while another led me to a room filled with armor and weapons. The only similarity all these rooms had? No one was inside and wasn't entitled to any of my attention.

My priority should be where I am, not what's in every other door I find. I kept walking around until I essentially walked into a dead end. Well, it seems I took the wrong turn, now if I can retrace my steps.

I walked back towards where I came from, hoping to find someone. I walked and walked, before the faint thundering sounds of footsteps starts to vibrate throughout the corridors. Someone or something was heading towards me. I halted my footsteps to hopefully find out where it came from.

Louder and louder, yet at a steady rhythm. I walked towards whoever was coming in my direction. I turned a corner, and slammed my entire face into a suit of armor. The person in that suit of armor stopped and stared at me for a moment, before he motioned for me to follow him/her. I was lead through an endless maze, with a lot of walking.

Juggernaut pushed open the door, and walked in. I followed him/her and entered. With the exception of the two of us the room is empty, just like all of the others I came across. We sat at one of the chairs. The room was practically empty, with just a table and some chairs around the table.

We waited. For what, I don't know but I assume it was for the others to arrive. There was this awkward silence between us whilst waiting.

"So….where are we?" I asked. This was the best I could do to break the awkward atmosphere.

"Outside Capital." He/She mutters. Is it just me, or I can't discern his/her gender from her voice? Well, at least I kind of know where I am now. He/She must have been referring to the base which was established outside of the Capital. I really doubt he/she would just take me to somewhere I don't know.

We waited some more. Seconds seemed like minutes, and time seem to be extremely slow. Eventually the door was opened and Hikari and Joker entered the room. They sat down at one of the seats at the table.

"So what happened?" Hikari asked.

"We were spotted by Night Raid assassins. Joker and I tried to escape from them so we split up. The assassin from Night Raid managed to catch up to me, and I was fighting. The next thing I knew I was here."

I can't seem to remember how I ended up in this place. I could remember fighting Akame, and then something happened and I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was here. I could see Joker in his seat nodding, agreeing to what I had said.

Hikari remained silent.

"Blue flames….Tatsumi." Juggernaut seems to mention.

Blue flames? What blue flames? Did something happen last night that I wasn't aware of?

"Did something happen while I was unconscious?" I enquired.

"Yes, apparently. There was this pillar of blue flames that was conjured on the outskirts of the Capital last night. It was around where you and Akame fought."

I started to rack my rain, hoping to find every single clue about what happened that lead to me ending up in the base outside of the Capital.

"So, I assume someone here got me out of that tight spot. So what happened? Somehow my memory isn't helping me piece together the series of events that lead to me being here. Like there are some parts missing."

There was again that dreadful silence. "Guys? Is there something that I should know?" I asked.

"Yes. You see, due to yesterday's events, it is no longer safe for you to be in the Capital for the next few weeks since they have started investigations and you are very likely to be caught. The Revolutionary Army knows of your appearance and thus you now have a bounty on your head. I was contemplating whether you should be on standby or should I send you elsewhere for a mission." Hikari answered.

Is it me or why do I feel that there was something that he left out.

"I think I would like to be sent on a mission elsewhere. SInce the Capital has heightened security as you have mentioned, I think it is best if I could go on a mission elsewhere in the Empire and come back once everything has calmed down." I replied.

Seriously what happened while I was unconscious. Pillar of blue flames. Who was even capable of such a feat. Maybe it was caused by someone possessing an Imperial Arm. That would explain a lot. Perhaps some of the reinforcements from Night Raid came to assist their comrade when someone was rescuing me when I was unconscious.

My eyes darted to my hands, and for the first time since the start of the conversation, I noticed that my fisted were clenched tightly. Was I that frustrated? Yes I was yet again unable to fend for myself and had to rely on my comrades to bail me out, but it was inevitable. She had an Imperial Arm and she had tons of experience to back her up. There was absolutely no possible way I could make it out victorious. I should be happy I was even alive after that fight. She could have killed me anytime she wanted.

"So it's decided. Tatsumi, you will be dispatched on a mission to assist our allies who are stationed elsewhere in the Empire. I'll provide you more details once we have everything prepared. For now, just rest as much as you can. Explore around this place if you get bored. It is only temporary until everything in the Capital quells."

He got up from his seat and went out of the door, leaving me with Juggernaut and Joker. Eventually, the remaining occupants of the room also left, though I ensured that I said my thanks to the both of them for helping me.

I walked around the place, making sure to remember its layout. I could see Juggernaut walking around, carrying things out of the rooms and arranging the things around.

I should probably help out, considering how there seem to be an endless amount of things to do.

* * *

 **Hey guys!**

 **Let me address a few things.**

 **Firstly, the first chapter of the prequel I have been talking about is out together with this chapter. It is basically a collection of the background story of the various characters. The title is called Strings of Fate. First chapter is about Blade, who past will be summarised into two chapters (unconfirmed).**

 **Secondly, a big 'Thank You!' to everyone who voted for the pairing in the reviews and those who supported me. I really appreciate it. Of course, since the story is still progressing, I'll keep most of your votes for the pairing in my sight as I continue writing. I seem to see more people wanting harem. Also, do keep in mind that characters in this story are mortal and will not be protected by plot. They will die, maybe. I don't know. It's still not decided.**

 **Thirdly, that little sister character will appear at the end of this arc, or maybe during the next arc. Her appearance will shed some light to Tatsumi's past. Of course, she won't be meeting Tatsumi until much later.**

 **The final chapter of Akame Ga Kill! Manga was recently released in english, marking this series as completed in the bookmark list of many. Overall, I found many holes that were in the story, so I may try my best to address that while writing this story. I can't change canon, but I can change the outcome of this story.**

 **I will not write about what happened on the Ryuusen, since the battle is basically similar to what actually happened in canon. There are just some details that changed, and the result would also change similarly.**

 **So sorry for the delay in this chapter's release. I was busy with work and life. Ahhhhhh, so much stuff to do, so little free time. This chapter is actually my third draft. There was two more, but it created quite a few problem and my friends had to pull a lot of all-nighters just to decide on which draft to use. This chapter is basically the aftermath of the incident in the last chapter.**

 **The other reason why this chapter took so long was because my friends and I had a story idea and we spent a lot of time crafting the plot of the story. We had intended to publish it on fictionpress, but we decided to test the waters and to gather more ideas by replacing the characters in this story with anime characters from various anime series. We were trying to get the personality of various characters correct. So the pilot chapter will be out soon. More news will come out soon.**

 **The Monogatari series is really good, Arifureta Web Novel and Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken Web Novel keeps getting more and more epic the more I read it.**

 **Thank you for reading and have a great day.**


	18. Chapter 18: Hunter or Hunted V

Struggling, and can't come up.

Searching for our reason to live.

That bright light doesn't lie among yesterday.

We're stray dogs, running without a destination.

~Bungou Stray Dogs Season 2 Opening - Reason Living

* * *

 _Volume 2: Chapter 5: Hunter or Hunted V_

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

People has always said that a lot of things can happen in one's life. I always wondered what kind of things would happen in my life. Of course, I won't deny that I had fantasised about the possible and maybe impossible things that could befall upon me. Of course, most of these fantasies were positive, like how I could be fighting to become the strongest one day, Or how I would be leaving the village to explore untouched lands to hopefully find treasure my parent left behind and hid, or how I could share the bloodline of the Emperor, making me part of the royal family.

Surprisingly, I seem to be the one who was able to come up with better fantasies than my other two friends. Sayo never reveals her fantasies, which was weird but neither Ieyasu nor I were too bothered by it. Ieyasu's fantasy revolved around the female gender most of the times. I'll not go in depth about what is in his fantasies.

Of course, these were just fantasies, something my mind created to ease my feelings of uncertainty, and possibly provide me hope towards the uncertain future.

Of course, just having only positive changes in your life is impossible, and I'll eventually learn that these positive changes are not always bearing good fortune.

 **…**

Before I knew it, I was now walking towards some place in the Empire with a oversized backpack that threatens to eject all of its contents at any moment. Of course, I had ensure that this would never happen. It's troublesome just to fit everything into this bag. The last thing I want was for me to have to arrange it again. Once is more than enough.

Three hours ago, I was still resting in the comfort of the bed, which was just simply a bench with some cloth laid over it. However, no matter how uncomfortable it may sound, it was actually had the opposite effect on me. It was comfortable, even more than the bed in the Capital. Maybe because I was tired, considering how I had been helping out around the base, helping to arrange whatever furniture there was.

Of course, the time came for me to leave. My belongings were already packed for me. Since most of my worldly possessions are in the Capital and since going into the Capital is going to increase the chances of me being captured, someone helped me pack. Whoever had helped me pack did a pretty good job ensuring the bag wouldn't explode.

"Hey, are we there yet?" I whined for the third time in the first hour since we left.

"Ahh, just shut up already. I'll tell you when we are close." Blade retorted.

He had been grumpy since the start of the trip, obviously showing his ire of having to travel to somewhere else in the Capital. Though it had subsided during the process of getting ready, he would still display some signs of his displeasure occasionally during the journey.

Our mission is basically to assist some of our allies who had requested for help. We were not briefed on what we were made to do, and Hikari explained that they would fill us in on more details when we arrive.

And so with an oversized bag, a short sword slung to my waist and a companion, I set off towards….

"Where are we going again?" I asked. I did not manage to listen to everything regarding the mission during the briefing. I only managed to capture some of the important points, before my mind zoned out, luring me back to the deep dark abyss in my mind.

I could hear Blade's sigh. "We are heading towards a city within the Empire called 'Thiriom'." he replied, albeit annoyed.

Our journey took about two days for us to reach the city. It was boring. The only thing interesting along the way was the different sound our boots makes when we step on different types of surfaces. Other than that, nothing interesting happened.

At the end of the first day, we had managed to find somewhere spacious to set up camp, allowing us to get some rest for the journey the next day. Of course, one of us was always awake and kept watch. When the sun rose, we continued our journey. Another day of endless walking, with me occasionally asking questions to dispel the awkward atmosphere between the two of us.

We eventually arrived at the city. Waiting in the line of people so that we could have the guard's approval for going into the city. We were allowed entry into the city without much hassle. Blade lead me towards the maze of buildings. We took a left, then another left. We then walked forward for some distance before we took a right. We continued walking for some time, before arriving at a pub. By now, I had forgotten the route we took just to arrive here. We entered the pub. It had a pretty lazy and homey atmosphere. There is a faint smell of alcohol lingering in the air. It was devoid of people, something I won't be surprised by knowing how hard it was to just find this place. The walls are a variety of brown hues that glows golden from the yellow lights hanging from the rafters. There are several tables placed throughout the room. There was also a counter with a bartender behind it. There was a shelf behind the bartender containing all sorts of alcohol. Wine, beer, liquor, spirit… you name it, they have it. There are also a couple of bar stools placed in front of the bar counter. The bartender was busy cleaning the glass cups with a piece of cloth.

Blade headed into the pub, and headed towards the counter. The bartender looked towards us as we approached. The bartender looked to be around the age of 25 to 30. Dressed in a formal attire of black slacks and a white long-sleeved collared shirt with a gray vest and bowtie. He also had a bowtie His black hair is messy, and was combed to his left.

Blade took out some piece of paper and handed it towards the bartender. After scanning the piece of paper for some moments, he gestured for us to follow him. We were lead towards a door behind the counter. He then proceed to guide us to a staircase which leads to the wine cellar. We walked towards one of the doors at the back of the cellar. He opened it only to reveal a small room containing various equipments for cleaning up a mess. Isn't this a janitor closet?

He walked into the small room, towards one of the walls. He pushed on one of the brick, and a section of the walls opened to reveal a passageway moments later. Saying our thanks, Blade and I walk towards the other side of the wall. The "door" closed moments later, and the bartender returned to his duties, having already led us to our destination.

We were greeted by some people on the other side of the wall. The atmosphere in the bar seem to have been carried over into this secret room, as some people were lazing around on the sofas, while others were either seated at one of the tables doing something or simply passed out, trying their best to catch some snooze.

The people who were still awake had averted their gazes towards Blade and I, before turning back to what they had their eyes on previously. One of the guy sitting at a table stood up and came over to us.

He stood at around my height, maybe he was slightly taller than me. He has black hair that reaches his hazel eyes. It won't be surprising if his eyes would be completely covered if he grew out his hair.

(A/N: Tatsumi's height is 165cm)

"Welcome, welcome! May I know where you came from?" he enquired with a smile. Based on my first impression, he seems friendly. Like the kind of person that just doesn't take anything seriously and just wants to do something else rather than something troublesome.

"The Capital." Blade replied. I could see his eyes widen slightly as he heard the reply.

"I see. We have been expecting you. Well, we still have allies that are still heading to this place as we speak, so you are free to do anything until they arrive tonight. The drinks here are on the house. We will brief you on the situation later tonight." Blade and I gave him a small nod before went into one of the rooms on the second floor of the pub which he guided us to and unpacked our luggage.

When we had everything prepared, I headed out of the room. I want to explore the city we had arrived in. After expressing my wishes, Blade proceed to hand me a map, labelling certain places on the map, one of it being our current residence.

Blade has absolutely no intention of going outside, and wanted to spend his time in the room. I could only wonder if he is actually a shut-in.

I walked out of the back door of the pub. Referring to the map every now and then, I manage to find my way to the main roads in the city. I would occasionally peer into the windows of the shops that are commonly found along the roads. It seems I have found myself in the business district of the city.

Most of the shops here specialise in items that adventurers would often buy. Potions, Weapons, Armor. This place has all kinds of shop. It was no mystery why these shops are the most popular here. Most of the people here work as adventurers. Located in the north of the city is a massive gate. It doesn't lead outside, but rather it leads underground. The entrance to a massive cavity below the ground which houses tons of danger beasts as one gets lower and lower underground.. Apparently it was rumored that the Danger Beasts below the ground is much harder to beat than the ones commonly found above ground. It was a common practice in these parts to form guilds, where experienced adventurers would guide newbie adventurers around the dungeon to teach them skills and the know-hows. After some time, these adventurers would form parties with members from other guilds. Some guilds specialised in certain types of adventurers. For example, through the rumors I have heard while exploring the city, there is a high-ranked guild which specialise in training adventurers to become tanks. By tanks I meant the person who wields heavy armor and takes most of the damage for their party.

There seems to be many different kind of guilds in this city. Guilds contributes to a large percentage of this city's income. It's kind of expected. The adventurers which adventure into the dungeon underneath the city would bring drops, which they would sell to shops located in the city. These shops would then use these drops as materials to create equipments, which they would sell to the people. Sometimes travelers which come into the city would buy these products either for their personal use or for sale elsewhere. These shops would then have to pay taxes to the government in the city using a part of the money they receive from the total sale in a month. So indirectly, adventurers would be the largest contributor of the city's income.

There is also the fact that compared to the Capital, there are very little people here who are poor or homeless, probably because they are already dead, serving as food for the danger beasts in the dungeon belowground.

I stopped myself in my tracks and peered into a window. There was something on display that caught my eye. Pushing open the door, I walked in and began to look around. I walked over to the counter and inquired about the thing which i had seen in the window. The shopkeeper, a gruff man in his 40s with muscles that seems to be able to put almost every man in the world to shame. He pointed to one of the shelves in the back of the room. I walked over to my destination. The only a few rays of light that shines through the window into the shop managed to make its way to the back of the room. It was hard to see things properly, and I had to squint my eyes just so I could focus on what I wanted to see.

Vials of poison was placed neatly on shelf. It was priced at an astonishing price of 20 gold coins for 1 vial. However, knowing how hard it was just to come across a shop that sells this, it was pretty much worth every single gold coin I would be spending.

Lesser Hydra's poison. Lesser hydras are commonly found in the dungeon underneath the city on a certain floor. Even though it's poison pales in comparison to the poison of the Greater Hydras, it was said to be better and more effective than any poison in the market. If I was not mistaken, the original Hydra, which was the forefather of all the hydras in the dungeons and was classified as a Legend-class maybe even Mythical-class, has it's poison so deadly that it could melt anything it touches. Of course, the Hydra was already slain by the armies of the Empire lead by the First Emperor to created the mass weapons of destruction called Imperial Arms.

The Lesser Hydra's poison would still be able to inflict massive pain to the enemy even if it can't compare to it's predecessor. It takes about 15 minutes for the poison to act, and once it does it would send the user into an extreme amount of pain. The user would feel as though they are being pressed against hot iron. The antidote to the poison is said to be hard to make. It requires only two ingredients, the poison itself and a certain herb that can be found in forests. The herb is found commonly growing beside water sources. There are a lot of steps, which include smashing, boiling, a lot of shaking and waiting before it is done. Of course, shops selling this poison would also be selling the antidote to it, tho it would cost a lot more than the poison.

I grabbed a few vials of poison and antidote off the shelf and headed for the counter. I left the shop having my wallet almost depleted. However, it was worth every coin spent, considering how rare it is in other parts of the Empire.

Tucking my purchase into my bag, I headed into the city to explore once again.

 **…**

Going back to my current residence takes quite some time. I had to traverse through a maze before being able to find familiar landmarks that could guide me to where I needed to go. And this was done with the help of a map.

I pushed open the door. The familiar ring of the bell caused by me opening the door sounded, signalling to everyone in the mostly empty room my arrival. This time, there were some people in front of the counter chatting amongst themselves. Particularly, the person who greeted me when I had arrived. I wonder where the money needed to run this establishment comes from if there are only this amount of customers that frequent this place. The bartender is still standing behind the counter, doing some menial chores to help him pass time. He nodded in my direction upon noticing my arrival, and I returned in kind. I walked back to the janitor closet inside of the pub. It should be okay for us to use this entrance, right? Pushing on the brick that I had seen the bartender who led us here previously pushed allowed a section of the wall to open, giving me passage to the other side. The passage closed on its own after I had passed through.

There seems to have been more people now. I could see some people holding a conversation at the tables in the room, while others were preoccupied with whatever had caught their eye. I walked back into the room which was assigned to us.

It was already evening when I had arrived at the pub. I pushed open the door to our room and walked in. I could see Blade at the only table in the room. A lamp was brightly lit, allowing us to see the room relatively better than in total darkness.

I walked over to my bag and stored my purchase. Several vials of Lesser Hydra's poison and it's antidote, a bag of medicinal herbs which acts as painkillers and accelerate the healing of wounds, a book that details everything about danger beasts known in the dungeon below and in the outskirts of the city and some food. This city has a lot of food that I can't find in the Capital, so why not try some of them? Though it depleted quite a bit of my funds, I don't think I regret spending it.

I peeked over to see what Blade has been doing. It seems he was busy assembling something. I feel like he has been in this room ever since we arrived. True, he is good at making things but shouldn't he take a break once in awhile? I went out of the room, not wanting to disturb him form his work.

I closed the door to the room behind me and walked towards the bar outside. This time, I pushed on a brick on the wall and again the passageway revealed itself. I went outside to the counter and got myself some drinks. Of course, I was not served anything alcoholic, for obvious reasons. Although there are no laws set for alcohol to be banned for minors, I was still not served alcoholic drinks. Perhaps the bartender was being mindful of my health?

There seems to be a bit more people in the pub, probably because the allies we were waiting for had arrived. I had took out the book I had bought earlier and started flipping through the book. I had wanted to find a book detailing Imperial Arms too but was unable to. It make sense, since any information gathered on these weapons would have been held by people in the Imperial Court.

Though I had struck gold by buying this book. This book has tons of information on danger beasts. What kind of material can be acquired from the danger beasts, their anatomy, where they can be found and how to slay them should one find themselves face-to-face with one.

I began to scour through the book to find new information, effectively losing track of time as I immersed myself with the contents of the book. When I had looked up from the book in my hands, I could see that there had been people sitting on the bar stools at the counter beside me. I had no idea when they had sat down. They already had their drink in their hands.

How long have I been reading this book?

I hurriedly empty the contents of the glass into my stomach before getting off the stool I had been sitting on and headed back into my room.

Blade was still working on his things when I opened the door. I assumed that he had not taken any breaks. I wonder what he could be doing that he would be giving it so much of his attention. I kept the book safely into my bag and walked over to the table, hoping to see what he is doing. I peeked over his shoulders, only to see what looked like a sword with a lot of things attached to it.

"It's just a sword I made to suit my way of fighting." he said in his usual tone of disinterest, shocking me at how he was able to tell that I was approaching even when he was concentrated on his work.

"I see." I replied. To be honest I was still unconvinced how a sword with something jutting out of the side of the hilt would help him out in combat.

It seems like I would not be able to help him out in any way, so I left him to his work.

Someone knocked on our door. I opened it, only to reveal the person who had greeted us earlier. He had come to notify us of the meeting he mentioned earlier, since everyone had now arrived. We nodded and headed towards the cellar.

The passageway has already been opened, allowing everyone who had arrived to pass through without the hassle of having to open it every single time.

Several people were already gathered around a table within the room. Some were seated around the back, waiting for this meeting to start. Everyone stood around the table, waiting for the last few who had yet to arrive in the room.

I could hear some people conversing in small talk as a way to kill time.

The sound of coughing took our attention away from whatever everyone in the room had been doing. Everyone looked towards the front of the table, where the source of the coughing came from.

"I assume that everyone is here already." someone at the front said.

"Well then, without any further ado let's begin the meeting."

* * *

 **Hi Guys!**

 **Okay, so let's talk about this story. This part of the story is not found in canon, and it is a pretty important part of the story, somewhat. A few things would happen here that would cause a large deviation from canon. Then again this is a fanfiction and what I decide to do with it is entirely up to me. Also this would be where Tatsumi learns about his Imperial Arm as well as set off some of the events that would happen later on. From this point it would mostly be in Tatsumi's perspective.**

 **Here is the threat level of Danger Beasts from most dangerous to least dangerous:**

Mythical-Class

Legend-Class

Ultra-Class

SSS-Class

SS-Class

S-Class

A-Class

B-Class

C-Class

D-Class

 **Well, just to put that out there so you won't be too confused when I mention threat levels. Do keep in mind that any danger beast I may conjure at this point above the threat level of SSS-Class would have a certain amount of sentience and possess the capability to think and be self-aware. It won't be surprising for them to be capable of speech. I think I should stop reading fantasy novels.**

 **Well, my schedule had picked up significantly so I would do my best to churn out chapters in my free time. I won't guarantee it's quality, so please bear with us until we rewrite it again.**

 **Also, that sentence at the start of the story… it has something to do with what is to come.**

 **With that, Thanks for reading this chapter and hope to see you on the next chapter. Have a nice day!**


	19. Chapter 19: Hunter or Hunted VI

_Volume 2: Chapter 6: Hunter or Hunted VI_

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

"Firstly, allow me to thank you all for coming here on such notice. We had not expect for help to arrive so soon, since we had just posted this request a few days ago." the speaker started off.

The speaker had wavy brown hair. He exudes a playful demeanor, accompanied by his playful smirk etched firmly on his face. Somehow I envision him to be great friends with Joker. His bangs frames his entire face, with some gathered in between his eyebrows. He would have struck me as a normal person, if it wasn't for the bandages. Bandages were wrapped around his forehead, with some covering his right eye. His entire right hand, including his fingers were covered in bandages.

Is he going to okay, with all those bandages wrapped around him? Shouldn't he be resting or something?

Then again, he knows his body best, so I guess I was worrying too much.

"I wish we could have met during different times, since this mission may very well be the last mission for some of us here." As he speak, his eyes were no longer contained the initial playfulness I had seen in them. It had turned dark, and his tone turned solemn. "Allow me to introduce myself. You can call me Oda. I am the so-called leader of this place." I could hear some groans from his comrades as these words left his mouth. "The main reason we have called you to this city, requesting for your help is mainly due to a certain plot we have uncovered recently. As many of you know, the Revolutionary Army consists of various generals and important figures that had once belonged to the Empire, which they are currently attempting to overthrow. Their reason should be pretty well-known, destroying the corrupt rule of the Emperor, or more specifically Honest. They have gather allies from all the lands, most of which are the direct victims of the tyrannical rule. Of course, they have been unable to cripple the forces of the Empire severely due to the existence of some key figures serving the Empire. It could be said that recently they have finally found a way to cripple the Empire." I could see some of the people in the room raising their brows, signalling their increased interest on the subject.

"A few days ago, some Revolutionary spies that had been captured by some of our people stationed here has revealed some very interesting intel. After using persuasive methods, they had spilled almost all of their plans. One of which has caught my attention and thus I had issued a request for help. Of course, I won't force you into this mission. If any of you wish to opt out, I won't deny you that and allow you to go off without any objections." He paused. I could hear some discussions, but none made a move to leave.

I could see him smile, before he continued his speech.

"The Revolutionary Army has set their eyes on this city. As I'm sure you know, this city is home to a cavern filled with danger beasts located just underneath it. It attracts people, mainly adventurers. These adventurers would travel into the cavern underground every single day. The loot they receive as the reward for slaying the monsters, as well as the ores and minerals they find would be sold to the various merchant and craftsman aboveground. These things would be used to make different equipments or rare items and would be either sold to the adventurers again or to travelers who came into the city for leisure purposes. Like that poison you bought earlier," He pointed to me. "or that sword you bought just now." He pointed to someone else in the room.

Well, as you can probably guess, all of us were suddenly wary of him. How did-

"I know everything." He answered with that smirk of his, as if answering our question that we had yet to ask. There is an air of distrust floating about the occupants in the room.

"Just kidding!" He remarked jovially before he chuckled. Just like that, the tensed atmosphere before was completely removed and replaced. I could see some of his comrades shaking their heads, as if they were already used to his antics.

I am starting to think that the reason for his injures were more from friendly fires rather than from enemies after his life. I was kind of annoyed, and feel like beating him up. However, I was unable to convert these thoughts into action. Not because I know I am being rude doing so, nor because I would be beaten up by his comrades instead. I couldn't explain what it was either. It was just a gut feeling, maybe, that something bad would happen to me if I were to ever harm him.

Whatever that was, I decide to focus on other issues for now.

"Now back to what I was saying. So these items are being bought, allowing businesses to earn their income and make large profits. Most of the items sold here are considered rare if you were to bring to another city, yet it is found in abundance here. Still, that doesn't change the price of the good. The price of goods here is basically the price of it if bought in another city. Then another question pops up. How does the rulers of this city earn money. Where does the income of the city come from?" He looked around, as if waiting for answers from us.

"The answer is taxes. The rulers would tax money from businesses. Of course, instead of the usual taxing system that the rulers of other city's would employ, which is the annual tax collected once a year, the rulers of this city also includes a different method of taxation. The amount they tax is based on the total amount of sales. For example, businesses that has a lot of customers would tend to be taxed more compared to businesses that has less customers. The tax businesses has to give to the rulers is usually a portion of their total revenue earned. Some people would be sent to the various businesses at the end of every month to collect the tax money. So does everyone understand how this works?" Again, he stopped. He looked around for any questions.

"Now for the real question everyone has in their minds. What are the Revolutionary Army's motives for targeting this place. Given the fact that this city contributes the most to the Empire's wealth annually, one would naturally assume that they would invade the city and take over as the new rulers of this city. All these rare items here together with the money the city generates would greatly boost their war efforts. Plus they would also cripple the Empire's wealth. That would be what we would assume as well. However, the intel we acquired from the spies tells a different tale."

I could see myself and many others wearing the same expression. One that display our confusion. If they didn't target this place because of the wealth, what other motives could they have?

His eyes peered into each one of ours in succession. He spoke with a serious tone. His eyes were now devoid of any life. The shadows caused by his bangs has enveloped his entire face.

"They are planning to destroy the city."

 **…**

The underground cavern was surprisingly colder than the surface. However, the cold air and the silence in the cavern, adding the occasional roars of the inhabitants of the place would send chills down our spine as we would always peer over our shoulders to avoid any monsters.

This large labyrinth below the city is divided into floors. The deeper you go, the tougher the danger beasts would be. The floor which I currently find myself in gives off the vibe of a graveyard the moment I stepped in. There was a noticeable change in temperature from the previous floors.

There are occasional cries and shrieks from the danger beasts in this floor. Death lingers in the air. Without a doubt, judging from the amount of corpses scattered throughout the floor, many has fallen here leaving behind endless tears of the ones who remembered them when they were alive. All who are unworthy were laid to rest without prejudice.

I guess you could say I was curious. Since the labyrinth is open to the public, I decided to explore it for myself. Of course, since our official mission is reconnaissance, Blade had decided to come out of his room and go outside. I suggested to explore the labyrinth below the city together, and after much persuasion he agreed.

Well, we aren't really slacking on the job. Since our job was to explore the town and search if there is anybody acting suspiciously while not drawing suspicions to ourselves, you could count what we are doing as part of the job. It's definitely not because we want to explore the labyrinth ourselves. Yes, it's totally because we are looking to see if there would be anybody suspicious within the labyrinth.

We walked towards the gate at the other side of the floor we were on. Blade and I had been exploring the previous few floors for quite some time. We had no way to keep track of time within the dungeon and had to rely on our own perception of time to determine how long we have already been in the labyrinth.

On the floor we were on was one of the 'Upper Floors' and the most common danger beasts that could be found here would be undead creatures. Danger Beasts or even humans which have died and had their corpses possessed by Lesser Wraiths. Since these monsters do not possess a brain to limit their physical strength, they are able to exhibit enormous strength. Killing them is also hard, since they are able to continue moving even after their heads or limbs are separated from their body. The most effective way to kill them, information courtesy of the knowledge found in the book I procured which our predecessors who had ventured into this place long before us had gathered, would be to separate the head and limbs from the body. Doing so would ensure that they would no longer be capable of movement anymore and they would eventually stop moving anymore since the Lesser Wraiths that possess them would have either exhausted itself or simply left.

There was one other issue with the undead danger beasts here. There would also be times where defeating these danger beasts would result in the Lesser Wraiths to leave the corpse that it had been possessing and attack adventurers itself. Basically, adventurers would have to kill both instead of the usual one. It is harder to kill the Lesser Wraiths since they are incorporeal. A special item is required to defeat it. It usually comes in the form of a light source or something which is capable of reflecting light. The stronger it is, the easier it is to kill it. In fact, the first party who managed to move on to the next floor had used their shields of metal to reflect the light rays which shines through from the surface. The had redirected the light rays towards the danger beasts, weakening them. Since their weakness was well-known, these danger beasts were no longer feared. It was recommended to tackle this floor of the labyrinth with a party of three people.

"Tatsumi, your swing is too wide. It could be easily blocked and countered easily if there was someone who is proficient with a sword." Blade suddenly pointed out.

"Eh? But I've been using it like this for quite some time now. I have made it through just fine doing so." I retorted.

"Then that's just means you are either extremely lucky or the people you are fighting are simply retarded." he said with irritation.

"Eh?"

"Well, try to correct your swings whenever you slash. That would help you to conserve your strength and also decrease your chances of being caught off-guard. Also, try adjusting your stance when you attack. Like shift your right foot inwards."

"Ok…I'll make sure to to that the next time we were attacked."

The past few hours was spent fighting the various danger beasts on the current floor of the labyrinth. We had been pretty unlucky. Every undead that comes out to greet us with their weapons would be armored to some extent. I had to use extra effort just to take one down, and they attack in swarms.

Since Blade was fighting alongside me, he would often correct some of my attacks, making them more efficient. It was still okay at first, but it gets excessive as time goes on.

We continued our journey into the labyrinth. Occasionally, we would find ourselves ambushed by danger beasts. They would spring out from around a corner, running towards us. The only annoying thing when fighting them would be that these undeads would attract more undeads. Some of the reinforcements would pop out from the ground where they were buried in.

We reached the gate to the next floor below. Of course, there were opposition, but all were crushed by the two of us.

The next floor looked exactly like a forest. The trees didn't seem like the kind of flora we would expect to find aboveground. Blade and I took a step forwards, hoping to examine the forest closer. The trees looked exactly like oak trees. There were some bulbs that hung on the branches, resembling flowers or fruits.

Maybe because it sensed our arrival, the bulb exploded, scattering yellow mist into the air. Some of them were carried by the wind, while others landed onto the ground. It wasn't long before the ground rumbled, and plants grew from where the mist landed.

"It seems the yellow mist acts like seeds or spores. From what I assume, it is spread as a sort of defense mechanism. Maybe it was done to ensure the continued survival of it species..." Blade started rambling.

Leaving him to his thoughts, I looked around for anything weird. The plants that just grew from the ground does seem suspicious. Shouldn't plant require some time for it to grow? I moved towards it, hoping to examine it closer.

Maybe it was because I was careless, I was pulled back by the collar, courtesy of Blade. It was at that moment the plants revealed teeths and consumed the air at the spot where I was moments before.

I gulped down the saliva that had accumulated in my mouth, possibly due to the fear that had arose from thinking about the situation in which I died from the encounter just now.

I think I need to calm down. Even my internal monologues is showing how much I am freaking out.

I took a few deep breaths. Trying my best to calm down. Sure, I have been in tough situations before. Near-death experiences? Plenty of them. So when plants, seemingly harmless started to attack people, it was natural for me to start freaking out. Why would plants want to attack people. Aren't they suppose to be harmless? Sure I have heard of plants consuming small insects to acquire nutrition to stay alive instead of the usual methods of acquiring sunlight during the day to do so. Man-eating plants? That's a first.

I don't think I have even read that far into the book. Probably why I was caught by surprise.

While I was still trapped in my thoughts Blade had walked forwards, uncaring of the now present threat. Sensing his presence, the plants shot forwards, exposing what looked like flowers with rows of razor sharp teeth at first glance. His knees bent slightly and his hand reached towards the sheath of his sword. The plants showed no signs of stopping.

There were some streaks of light that followed, and when they subsided the remains of the plants littered the ground around us.

I could see Blade drawing his sword and cutting through all of the monsters around him in one fluid motion. The plants were removed of their fangs, rendering harmless just like how they should be.

"I think we should call it a day. Clearly it seems you are no longer able to move onwards and I am already quite tired." He said.

I wanted to argue with his statement, though the current state of shock that I am in doesn't do much to help me with my argument. My legs were trembling even though I have tried my best to stop, my hands were constantly fiddling with the handle of my weapon that was equipped at my waist. I could only nod dejectedly, knowing how I was at a disadvantage no matter how I wish to say otherwise.

With that, we ended our journey in the labyrinth under the city. After resting in a safe place, we continued our journey upwards. There was less danger beasts now, probably because we had killed some of their kind and they were now avoiding us knowing that they were unable to kill us. Our trek upwards was filled with silence. The awkward atmosphere between the two of us bore its full weight on me, and has made me determined to dispel it. Dispelling it using the only way possible.

Talking.

"Blade, you're really talented aren't you? You seem to be able to do everything." I started out.

"Not really. There are still things I can't do." He replied. I had notice him flinching before giving his reply. Did I hit a sensitive topic?

"But the things you can do already encompasses a lot of things." I remarked.

"Not really. Compared to my siblings, I realise that there are still a lot of things I couldn't do no matter how hard I try."

"Ehh? You have siblings?" I asked, surprised. Even among the other members, Blade was the one who I know the least about. We do not know the past of each other unless they reveal it. Though you can sort of guess what they have went through from their behaviour and outlook on life.

"Yes, I do. You have a problem with that?"

"No. It's just kind of hard to imagine you shouting 'Onii-san' or 'Onee-san'." I admit. I tried doing what I said. It was impossible. In the time spent with him, I think of him as an anti-social kind of person. I have never seen him smile, since he claims that it was 'just an expression to display happiness'. In fact, I don't think he has shown any kind of emotions. The only way for us to know his mood would be through… his voice. Even then, his voice is partly monotonous.

"What's that suppose to mean?" He remarked...irritably(?). I could also sense his bloodlust slowly rising as the words left his mouth. I touched a sensitive topic. Great start, Tatsumi! You're doing great… if your objective is to piss him off.

"Well, it's just that you aren't very social, so I imagine you not getting along with your siblings or something." I replied, hoping that my reply would appease him, however painfully honest I have been.

"...You're not really too far off. Just...there was more details."

Again, the awkward silence took over. My attempts to dispel it only served to strengthen it. I felt like as if I had lost, being unable to rid of it even though it had seemed easy.

"Tatsumi, I have a question for you." He said.

I was curious. What kind of question would it be? What had caused him, a person who doesn't seem to care about anything, to ask a question? Surely something must have made him do so.

"Why are you pretending to blend in?"

"..."

"..."

"Huh?" was the only reply I can give. What is he talking about? "I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking."

"What I meant wa-"

 _BANG_

Something fell to the floor. We turned our eyes towards whatever had fallen. There seem to be boxes everywhere. Someone had tripped and one of the boxes in their hands had fallen out of the boxes. I could see their look of apparent shock for a few moments before he scurried over to the box he dropped to examine the contents. 'Thankfully nothing seem to have been broken' was what I presume the expression on his face meant. He dusted himself, getting rid of the dust that clung to his clothes before picking up the box and walking towards the direction where the boxes were stacked.

"Was there some sort of event going on in the city?" I asked, curious as to why there were so many boxes in the first floor of the labyrinth.

"Not really. It isn't uncommon to see boxes here. Due to the adventurers, the first floor was cleared of all of the danger beasts. Since there is excess space here, the governors of the city has decided to lease this space to merchants who wishes to store goods in an area with low sunlight. This is probably why you could see tons of boxes or crates stacked here."

"That makes sense." I replied. There was a weird smell in the air, but I dismissed it. I was probably some herbs that some merchant had either wanted to sell in the city or sell it somewhere else.

By now, the question that Blade had previously raised was already at the back of our minds.

 **…**

"Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, Sir!"

Another report that bore no fruit. I could hear the visible signs of disappointment among the members that were gathered here.

Everyone was anxious. We couldn't be faulted. It isn't everyday some powerful group of people to destroy a city. Then again, 'destroying a city' is pretty vague. Like there are numerous ways to do this. Do they mean cripple the city's flow of income? Or do they mean killing every last person in the city? There are just too many possibilities.

It doesn't help how most of the spies from the Revolutionary Army were lacking in crucial information. Sure, they do carry information, but none of the ones we need. Oda had went somewhere else within the city, 'no doubt to fool around' was what his comrades said he was off to do. Is said person really capable?

Blade had retreated back into our shared room once we had got back to the pub. As usual, there were few customers, if you were to not consider the people who were sent as reinforcements. Since there was no longer any duties, I decided to walk outside. Exploring the city was much better than staying idle, or simply reading the book to pass time. I don't have anything against spending my time reading books. However, the contents were… dry and I would prefer going outside when such thoughts start to sprout.

It wasn't long before I found myself in the business district again. This time, I was here to try out foods. The loot that Blade and I had acquired was able to cash in a bit more money than what either of us had expected. Now, without any more concerns regarding money, I find it hard to not spend it. The reasons themselves are justified. I am in an unknown environment filled with all kind of new things. Isn't it natural to try them out if they don't possess any dangers?

So began my journey of food-tasting. I made sure to keep a watchful eye as well, not wanting to neglect my mission.

It was around the evening period, and the crowd has become larger than usual. Most of the people here are adventurers who had finished their usual duties in the labyrinth and simply wishes to relax after a long hard day. More shops has been opened to the public, since their opening hours were around the late afternoon to the evening. This place is one of the few places where corruption isn't as rampant as the Capital. However, the cost of living here is higher.

This town does have crime, but it usually occurs to the low level adventurers not affiliated with some powerful person, and would usually be stopped by adventurers in exchange for silver pieces in doing so.

 _CRASH (A/N: sound effect, don't judge me please)_

In my journey to experience the food in this city, I had unexpectedly crashed into someone as I had intended to ran to one of the stores with a queue getting longer and longer. Dressed in a white buttoned-up shirt with a black scarf wrapped comfortably on her shoulders coupled together with a black skirt with vertical white lines going horizontally around it. Her hair was sleek silver, with a silver hairclip to hold back her fringes. Eyes of amber stared at me in anger from the ground in which she had found herself sitting on after our collision.

"Sorry!" I figured that I should at least apologise to whoever before she decides to make a scene. "Are you okay?"

I had offered my hand out to her, hoping it would be able to fix the situation that I have got myself into, even if it was just a little. I could see her hesitating, before she took my hand and pulled herself off the ground.

"Y-Yes." she replied

Seeing that such things had been done properly, I had turned my sights back to my initial destination, which to my dismay, already had a long queue in front of it.

Hurriedly, I began to run hoping that the queue would not get any longer. If I had turned back towards the lady, I might have caught her smile of amusement.

But then again, it didn't matter anyway. Our brief meeting would not end there.

Great, it looks like I would have to wait for quite a while with a queue this long.

* * *

 **Hi guys.**

 **Okay, first things first, allow me to apologise for making you guys wait for about 2 months for this chapter. I had been very busy, so updates from now on would be slower than usual. So allow me to say 'Sorry!'.**

 **Alright, let's talk about the story. Firstly, adding of the sound effects is something that i am still quite uncomfortable with. It feels weird doing so, thus I decide to put them in italics. It's is preferred that my readers read this in mobile version, so that all the bold and italicised words can be seen and differentiated.**

 **So, this arc has been taking me quite some time to finish, and I will probably sum it up within the next few chapters.**

 **In other news, another one-shot story idea I have been working on is finally done, even if it is a spin-off based on my other story. For some reason, I wrote the spin-off faster than the original. Probably because I had fun writing it. If you guys like, please go and check it out. It's a concept that I rarely see on this fanfiction. Modern Day High School. The name is 'Academy of Talent'. I'm still playing around with this one-shot, and I might even include this into a danganronpa one-shot, since it is similar… the high school part that is, not the part where the world...you know…**

 **Well, enough about stuff. I might be working on more projects in the future, and I would like to thank all of my readers on your continued support and for being patient. I can't promise that I won't take my time with future chapters, but at least I'll try to make it worth your wait.**

 **Oh yea, before I forget… to** ChaosOmega8: I'll keep that story idea you provided in my sights. I might work on that story, but only when I finish with this one, or once I had more interest in it to actualise it. Sorry, and please stay tuned for it. I might publish a one-shot and see how easy or hard it is to write it. No promises though :)

 **Now that stuff has been done, I'll talk again in the next chapter. See you next time!**


	20. Chapter 20: Hunter or Hunted VII

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

 **[Names of Equipments or Imperial Arms or Weapons/Title]**

 _Flashback/Dreams_

* * *

 _Volume 2: Chapter 7: Hunter or Hunted VII_

 _A landscape filled with snow._

 _Somehow it seems familiar. Like I've seen it somewhere, yet I couldn't recall where._

 _I tried to move, but find that I was immobilized. Studying closer, I find myself buried deep in the snow._

 _Move! I have to move or I might freeze to death. Using every bit of strength that my body could muster, I tried to move. Several attempts were made, but none of them seem to bear any fruit. I kept trying, desperately hoping that my next attempt would succeed. The fear of death seems to have made me more motivated._

 _I could feel the snow that binds my limbs slowly loosening its grip. Giving one last push, I pushed myself out of the snow._

 _It was freezing. My body was curled up, trying to garner as much heat as possible to stay alive. I looked around the place where I was._

 _White covered everything in my peripheral vision. Snow was slowly falling down on me, causing me to shiver every time a snowflake landed on my skin. Dressed in only rags that covers only my body and some parts of my limbs._

 _Questions were forming in my head._

 _Where am I?_

 _How did I get here?_

 _For now, I pushed these questions into the back of my head. Finding warmth takes precedence over these questions. Survive, or these questions would hold no meaning to me._

 _I stood up unsteadily, trying my best to stop trembling. I looked around me. Everywhere, the land was covered in white. I guess there's really no point contemplating. Turning towards a vague outline of what seems to be a mountain, I began walking._

 _Or at least that was what I planned to do. I had took one step before falling forwards onto the snow. It was just too cold, and I hardly have any energy left to walk, since keeping myself standing and my previous struggle had already depleted most of my energy. At least the snow was soft, or I would have been hurt._

 _White, the only color in my vision. As the seconds passes, this color seem to fade away, replacing it with black._

 _I guess I have tried my best._

 _The last thing that I could perceive before passing out was the neighing of some animal and some squeaking._

 **…**

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

Someone was shaking me and it was enough to bring me out of my sleep. I looked at whoever had been responsible for doing such a deed.

Light blue hair coupled with blue eyes that displays indifference. Rubbing away the sleepiness from my eyes, I lifted myself off of the bed. I glanced at the clock, only for me to realise that I had only fallen asleep for about an hour plus.

"Our shift is starting soon" he remarked, before he made his way out of our room with his equipments.

Rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes, I got up from my bed and checked my equipments. Ensuring that everything that I might need was prepared, I walked out of my room as well. I proceeded towards the meeting room, which was behind the secret 'door' in the cellar.

Pressing the brick, the wall opened up and allowed me to pass through.

Most of the patrol teams were already outside patrolling. Since the previous shift is about to end, the next team would be deployed soon to cover up for it. I arrived in the meeting room, to see everyone who are involved already present. I moved towards the large table in the center of the room. Seeing my arrival, the speaker began to give out duties. Oda was still nowhere to be seen within the room even though he is the leader.

In fact, he hasn't been seen for the past few days.

We were given the areas we are to patrol and sent off on our merry way. I have to hand it to them, they intentionally sent us to areas which they have not been to before, posing us as tourists. Any kind of suspicious behaviour would be dismissed since most would assume that we were sightseeing.

Coincidentally, the area which Blade and I were tasked to patrol had an entrance to the labyrinth below. I don't think anyone would mind us being underground right now.

Once again, Blade and I began another day of fighting Danger Beasts in the labyrinth.

 **…**

{Third Person's Perspective}

The assignment was fairly simple.

Ensure the successful delivery of a certain shipment of items into the city. They were not given much information of what the items are, only what they are tasked to do. Failure equals death, or so the higher-ups had claimed. Success, however, would greatly improve the chances of winning the war against the Empire.

The Revolutionary Army had sent some of their most elite assassins and spies that are available ahead of time.

Everything seems to be progressing well, until a few of their spies started going missing. Initially, everyone assumed they were caught by the local police guards, some skilled adventurer had fatally wounded them in a fight or simply being overpowered by a horde of Danger Beasts in the Labyrinth below the city during a careless moment. However, as time goes on, such cases became more frequent and showed no signs of ceasing. Their manpower had been reduced by a significant amount and with the date of their grand plan drawing near, everyone became anxious.

Several times they had tried to investigate, but every trace or evidence that they had gathered only lead to a dead end. Frustrated and fearful, they halted all their activities and had send word to the higher-ups to delay their plans. However, it would only hamper the plan for a moment and eventually they have no other choice other than to proceed with the plan.

"Let me recap the mission we were given. We were tasked to ensure the safe delivery of some stuff that the higher-ups would be sending to this city. What the items are isn't known. All that is required of us is to ensure it gets into the city without it being found by the guards. Some of our fellow Revolutionary Soldiers, who will be posing as merchants would be arriving tomorrow at around noon." The man who called the meeting said. He possesses a slim build, and was the most experienced assassin within the group of people gathered in the room they are currently in. Brown hair and cold black eyes that seem to lack any sort of emotion in them.

"Each member would be posted at different locations in pairs. The teams posted to the gates would operate in teams of three instead. The 'merchants' are expected to arrive sometime before noon, when the new shift starts. Teams stationed to be within the City Guards and would be doing the morning shift are to ensure the smooth entry of the 'merchants' and their goods. Teams stationed within the city itself would have to ensure the 'merchants' would reach their destination. Please exercise caution, as we do have enemies within this city itself.

If there are no questions, everyone is dismissed. Please report to me one last time tomorrow morning before moving off to your assigned location."

Studying the map of the city laid on the table before him, he proceeded to shift some chips from one place to another. His mind was actively thinking up of different scenario that could possibly happen and was coming up with countermeasures. Call it paranoid, but lately his thumb has been twitching lately. Last time this happened, the majority of the members in the team under his care was wiped out. Even if it is simply superstition, he isn't going to take any chances.

"You're being too tensed" His eyes darted towards the source of the feminine voice, only to gaze upon a lady with deep blue eyes and blonde hair. He was acquainted with this person, having seen her on many occasions. The General's Tent in the Revolutionary Headquarters was a place he frequently visited, having received almost every mission from said place. She was one of the Generals of the Revolutionary Army. However, she was much too busy and important to be seen in the place where he currently was.

"Please drop the disguise." he commented humorlessly. Every word was oozing with bloodlust, so much that she had to take a couple of steps back in fear, before she composed herself.

"I get that this mission happens tomorrow, but you're too uptight."

A cloud of smoke burst out from the lady, and in the place where she once stood was the figure of a different person. Pale skin, auburn hair with her usual playful red eyes dyed with fear. She wore a long-sleeved shirt underneath a black vest, with a red ribbon tied around her collars. Completing her outfit would be a red checkered mini-skirt and black leather boots. On her head was a butterfly headphones accessory with a red ribbon tied on it to resemble a butterfly.

Upon noticing the actual identity of the person, he lowered his knifes that were tightly clenched in his hands.

"Do you happen to have some sort of crush on her?" she teased.

His response came in the form of a glare that promised only death.

"I guess not, huh?" She awkwardly added, before starting to chuckle awkwardly. In that time, she unwrapped a lollipop which she had fished out from one of her pockets on her skirt.

"I need you to provide support to the units posted within the city. Your Imperial Arm allow you to provide immediate support to the various units without risking detection."

"Why the sudden change? If I'm not wrong, aren't I supposed to be with the 'merchants' when they arrive?" she enquired.

"I decided to change some plans. I intend to have you cover the other teams who are vulnerable to sabotage or any ambushes while performing their duties. Hopefully by doing so, I would be able to drag them out into the light and reveal their identities. It's not the best plan given our situation, but it would work out if everything goes as planned."

She stayed silent for a few moments, as though giving the offer some thought, before exiting the room, leaving him alone.

"Roger that"

 **…**

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

Blade and I had been exploring the Upper Floors of the Labyrinth. Since most of the Danger Beasts here had become easier to slay, I suggested to try challenging the Middle Floors. Blade didn't show any sign of reluctance, so I assumed he was okay with the suggestion. We trekked even lower into the Labyrinth, and eventually arrived at the entrance of the Middle Floors.

We were welcomed by a large horde of new Danger Beasts that we have never fought before, but experienced no problems when fighting against them. Everything was going smoothly as we continued our journey deeper into the Labyrinth. Maybe it was my imagination, but the air gets warmer and warmer as we travelled deeper into the Labyrinth. Of course, we dismissed it since it was at a level where it could bring about no discomfort.

Our fights later on were against a group of Kobolds, one of the Kobolds had tossed his weapon towards the ceiling, causing the ceiling to collapse between me and Blade. We were separated. It was at this moment that I realise how these Danger Beasts seem to be smarter than they look, and also how screwed I am.

Maybe it was their plan all along to separate me from Blade and take us out individually with numbers. More and more of these Kobolds came rushing at me. I tried my best to fight but their numbers were endless, so I did the only thing that would increase my chances of survival. Running away. It was cowardly, but I did convince myself that it was only a temporary retreat so as to buy myself time to formulate a plan that would lead me to my desired outcome of slaying them.

I had hoped that their pursuit would be slow. Sadly, this wasn't going to happen. These Kobolds would fight while they are standing on their hind legs, but when it comes to pursuing potential prey, they would go on all fours. While in pursuit their speed would increase significantly, and thus not many people can outrun them. It seems my luck has run out, as I could only watch as they inch closer and closer throughout the course of the chase.

One of the Kobolds who had managed to catch up to me had wildly swung his rusty sword down onto me. I tried my best to dodge but was unable to prevent myself from getting hurt. There was now a cut on my back that extends from my right shoulder to my left waist. Even though it wasn't very deep, blood was still flowing out of it at a constant rate. My clothes was getting heavier and heavier, possibly due to the blood soaking into it.

Despite the searing pain on my back, I kept running. Stopping would result in my death.

Another Kobold managed to get close to me. It raised its right hand, hoping to slam the sword in his hand down onto me.

I drew my weapon and stopped myself abruptly. The Kobold, still in motion was about to slam into me with his hands still above his head. Without turning around, I placed my weapon just beside my right waist and watched as the weapon gradually sink itself into the soft flesh of the Kobold. In the next instant, the Kobold slammed into me. I bit my tongue, hoping to not scream out in pain. Using the force that the Kobold that slammed into me possessed, I started running again with somewhat of a head start.

Looking back at the corner of my eyes, I could see the injured form of the Kobold stumbling, slowly decreasing in speed.

Although I was saved by my quick thinking, I don't think I could be able to try this kind of stunt again given how much pain it would bring about for me.

I didn't have any particular destination in mind. I simply ran, towards where ever I feel would lead me out of this mess. Such a pathetic strategy could only last for so long.

For some reason, I wasn't even surprised that there was a dead end awaiting me when I had took a wrong turn. Only simple despair. The Kobolds has already caught up to me, and with my back against the wall, there was no longer any way for me to escape. The Kobolds seems to have understood the predicament that I find myself in and began to mock me with a series of barks and laughs. They seem to be enjoying themselves, watching me struggle.

For some reason, I don't feel afraid. It was like as though I was in such situations before, or that I wasn't afraid of dying. I wasn't trembling and my mind wasn't in panic. There also seem to be the fact that the voices in my head are no longer there, or at least died down every since I left the Capital, but that isn't important at this moment.

All of the Kobolds that had been chasing me had gathered, effectively trapping me and further preventing me from escaping.

I raised my sword in front of me. The wound on my back seems to have been opened further with all my running, given how my shirt feels heavier than usual. Since there had been no opportunity for me to dress my wound, blood flowed out of it freely like prisoners who had been set free from their confinements. I was very certain that my shirt is now red given the amount of time blood was flowing out of my wound. I feel light-headed and could hardly register the pain caused by the wound.

The Kobolds began to run towards me, each one hoping to tear me to shreds. The closest one pounced towards me. I jumped to my left, and moments later the Kobold slammed into the wall that was behind me moments ago. Two more Kobolds came towards me, one with its pickaxe above its head ready swing down while the other has one of its hands outstretched, hoping to slice me apart with its razor sharp claws.

I held my weapon at my side and ran towards the Kobold with the pickaxe, reaching it before it could swing the somewhat odd choice of a weapon down. I did have to avoid the other Kobold's claws during my run. Once I was close enough, I stabbed my weapon into the stomach of the Kobold. It howled in pain. Not wasting any time, I pull out the short sword and slashed at the throat of the Kobold. Blood gushed out of the wound on its stomach and throat. In its attempt to survive the Kobold had abandoned its pickaxe and covered the wound on its throat with both it's hands, hoping to stop the blood from flowing out by exerting pressure on the wound and leaving the wound on its stomach alone, probably judging it to be of lesser importance. I was panting at this point, and this allowed the other Kobolds to rush towards me. Three more Kobolds, with 2 more following closely behind them were upon me.

I threw one of the throwing knifes I had in the pouch strapped to my waist. It flew towards the Kobold on my left, and hit the Kobold on its left shoulder. Since it was on all fours, it stumbled before collapsing head-first onto the ground. It wasn't dead, simply losing its balance. By the time I readied my sword before my eyes, one of the Kobolds at the front which carried a rusty broken sword has already swung it down on me. I lifted my short sword and lifted my right hand which gripping the handle higher than my left which was supporting the blade. The blade of the broken sword landed on the blade of my weapon, before it slid down toward the ground on my left. The Kobold was caught off guard and I slashed at the side of its abdomen. However, this meant that I lack ample time needed to block against the strike by third Kobold, the one on my right. Its claws were already on its course headed towards me and I was powerless to stop it. The only action I did, perhaps on instinct, was to close my eyes and braced myself for the inevitable pain that would follow.

In the next moment, sharp claws dug into my flesh on my right shoulder. I was knocked back into the wall behind me. Something hard hit against the back of my head. I couldn't help but shout in pain. Blood was now flowing out of my wounds and I could feel warmth slowly leaving my body, greedily taken away by the surroundings. The other Kobolds in the surroundings were howling, celebrating their victory. Now that I took a closer look at them, their fur are white as snow, though it was stained with dirt and blood here and there. Each one of them were about 3 metres in height. There were about 20 of them, and maybe even more.

Well, I guess I was unlucky having to die here. Black spots are already appearing in my vision. I guess this is fate's way of showing mercy. Better I be asleep as I die than be awake and having to endure the pain and suffering that awaits me.

Maybe because I had given up, I let myself be succumbed by the black void. Slowly, my consciousness faded. Just before doing so, I saw some sparks in the background before passing out completely.

…

When I regain consciousness, I found myself staring at a familiar ceiling. I started at it blankly, before realization hit me that I am still in the land of the living. I got up from where I am currently resting and looked around. There was no one around me. It was literally just an empty space. No sounds, and the only source of light came from the lamp placed above where my head should be if I was lying down, and also from the cracks in the ceiling. This is no doubt the Upper Floors of the Labyrinth.

Next, I realised how my body seemed to be heavier than usual. I looked down and notice layers and layers of bandage wrapped around torso. Bandages covered the wound on my right shoulder and extends all the way to my elbow. The bandages were wrapped nicely, with the skills of someone who had done the action before countless times such that it becomes firmly ingrained in their minds and essentially became second nature to them. On first glance in this place of insufficient luminosity , I would have mistook it as clothes instead of what they were.

Speaking of clothes, I noticed how they seem to not be covering my body. I had doubts that they would be trapped underneath the layers of bandages. No, it is absurd to even think that anyone would fail to take off my clothes before wrapping my wounds. I looked around, and sure enough, I found it folded nicely and next to where my other worldly possessions are placed, next to the lamp which is providing me with light.

It was through the searching of my clothes that I once again happen upon another fact. Separating my body from the ground was a thin blanket. Maybe it would be better to call it a cloth since the edges are quite tattered. It did little to hide the discomfort of sleeping on the cold hard floor, but I am really thankful for my rescuer for doing such a deed even if it was somewhat… redundant.

Speaking of which, I wonder who resc-

"Hoooo…. you're awake already! How are you feeling right now?" a voice from behind me remarked.

Instinctively, I ignored the pain caused by my wounds and jumped out of my makeshift bed, get onto a kneeling position with my right knee on the ground. Facing the direction where the source of the voice came from, my hands my hands reached for my left waist where my weapon was supposed to be strapped at, before realising that it was not there. Perhaps because of the chill down my spine I felt when the words came, my body reacted before I could even comprehend why I am doing something like this.

In the direction which I was facing, there was… no one. I could clearly see the walls of the Labyrinth, but there was nothing there that could be capable of human speech. My mind ran a few possibilities. Though it was somewhat impossible due to the fact that already have sufficient rest, I could be hallucinating. I think I would believe that this was what is going on only if all other possibilities becomes impossibilities.

"Kid, you shouldn't move so much. Your injuries might worsen if you do something like this."

These words were kind of louder than usual, probably because the source was just behind me, and that his (I assumed judging from the pitch of his voice) mouth was right next to my ears. My reaction was to punch the person behind me in the face… or at least try to. In my peripheral vision, the person moved back before my fists could land a hit on him.

I took a good look at the person who had revealed himself. He wore a black trench coat that isn't even buttoned. His right hand, from what I could see was bandaged. There was also bandages tied around his forehead, and some extending lower to cover his eye. He still wears that playful smile, like as if he was satisfied that I was successfully played by him.

If it wasn't for his display of what he was capable of, which I was still unable to gather anything concrete since he wasn't in my sight until the last moment, I would have wiped that grin off of his face using pure brute force. I could only resort to staring at him. I had wanted to glare, but the thought of doing so didn't register in my mind. It was that subtle yet unknown feeling that I felt when I met him for the first time. My mind subconsciously commanded my body to not show any hostility to him, yet at the same time not to let down my guard against him.

"Hey, there is no need to be so tensed. I don't mean to frighten you back there. It was just something I do out of habit. Forgive me if it rubbed you the wrong way, okay?" He said.

Eh? Habit? Wait what? How can that be something a person do out of habit.

"Then again, you showed pretty impressive reactions there. That was perhaps one of the few moments someone reacted to one of my pranks like that. Say, what's your name?"

"Oh, err m-my name's T-Tatsumi..."

Was I this frightened? Get it together, me! You can simply be scared by just that right?

"Now that I think about it, those movements you made earlier must have come together with some damage to your body, right? How does you feel right now?"

"Like I should be dead." My reply seem to have brought him to laughter. It was the exaggerated laughter, one which makes the receiver think that he was only messing around. It was loud and because we are in an enclosed area with only some paths leading everywhere, his voice echoed off the walls, making it louder than what I would call acceptable, turning my fear into annoyance. How I wish I could have the satisfaction of hitting his face. I'm sure it would do wonders to my current emotions.

"Hahahaha. Then you should be fine. Kid, you should count yourself lucky. Had it been anyone else, they wouldn't have been able to move at all so fluently." he remarked once his laughter had died down to snickers.

Although I really wish to cave his face in, I do have to thank him for his help and handiwork.

"Thank you." I said. Never did I realise that I would come to regret being polite.

"Mmm. I guess it is only natural that you would thank me. After all, for someone as great and benevolent as me, having me offer help is something even the gods up above wishes for. Being thankful is something that I already expect to receive." With hands akimbo and chest puffed outwards in pride, he answered my thanks. There is this air of superiority surrounding him.

Scratch that, I am so going to punch him in the face the first chance I get. Not now, but one of these days when his guard is down.

I walked over to where my clothes and belongings lie and proceeded to dress myself. The cuts caused by the Kobolds could still be seen on the shirt and jacket, exposing some of the bandages underneath. Normally I would have disposed of it, but since this is the only clothes I have at the moment, I could only make do with whatever I have and change it once I get back.

"Say, how long was I out?" I asked him.

"About 6 hours." he answered.

I went over to my bag and proceeded to check my current inventory. It doesn't hurt to know what you have to work with should anything happen. I still have about three more throwing knifes. Two of it are coated in venom. One coated in the remaining **[Basilisk's Venom]** , gifted by my mentor back when I had left the Capital, while the other was coated with the **[Lesser Hydra's Poison]** I had previously bought. The last throwing knife was coated with a fluid which causes paralysis to its target should said fluid enter their bloodstream. Paralysis of the target, once cut, would take effect after 5 minutes, and would last for at most 30 minutes. It's effective should I wish to capture someone, or simply escape from an unfavorable situation.

My short sword rest beside my bag. Drawing it from its sheath, I took some time to admire its design. It's pommel is round, with a small stub protruding just opposite of where the handle is located. It's handle was wrapped in cloth, which I had taken initiative to change every few days. Compared to a normal sword, the length of the handle of the sword in my hands pale in comparison. Expected, since it is only long enough to be gripped with one hand, unlike the common two hand. Its reach in battle is small, which is why wielders of such swords are required to think fast and adapt to situations. The sword does have its perks too. Due to shorter blade length, wielder of the short sword is able to react faster than others. The amount of strikes a normal sword wielder could deal, a short sword wielder can deal in just half the time the former requires.

"Hmmm? Isn't that a **[Gladius]**? I heard that these short swords are not made anymore. I wonder where you got it from?" Oda seemed to have his interests captured by the mini-sized sword in my hands.

I nodded to his question. "It was a gift from my mentor back when I was still in my village. It was handed to me by my mentor as a rite of passage. He did mention when I first laid eyes on it during my time I was training under him that he bought it from a travelling merchant back in the days he was still a soldier. Though he did grumble on many occasions on how it was a hassle to maintain the weapon."

I begin to study the sword in my hands, checking if any chips or cracks are present on the blade of my sword. Once I was satisfied with the condition of my main weapon, I placed it back into its resting place. It seem I didn't lose anything valuable in the fight earlier.

I took a sip of water from the canteen that I had brought along and allowed my thoughts to wander on future action that I would need to take from here on.

The whereabouts of my companion, Blade is still unknown. For all I know, he could still be in the Middle Floors of the Labyrinth searching for me. I am not too worried about his survival, since he did show that he was capable of taking on any threat this Labyrinth can throw at him. Still, I might have to find some way of finding him or at least let him know that I am alive and well, or he just might be wandering the Labyrinth pointlessly.

Also I hate to admit it, but I haven't really been doing my job properly. Maybe it's because the near-death experience with Akame had caused me to realise just how powerless I am and made me hesitant to throw myself back into this world where I would be involved with people like her, insanely powerful. Then again, now that I think of it, wasn't I practically forced into this? Like how because of the death of my friends, my emotions were in disarray and I made rash decisions? And how I accepted help from anyone was willing to provide it to me without questioning their motives. Another issue would be Hikari. Other than the fact that my mentor seem to trust him, I have no other ways of affirming whether or not he is trustworthy. If I had met him before arriving in the Capital, wouldn't he have simply been just another face in the crowd? Why was I able to trust him so easily?

Ahh, whatever. It isn't important at this moment.

Wait, it couldn't be that Oda is here to reprimand me about me not doing my job properly, right? He is in charge of this city and has a considerable responsibility he must undertake. Even if he was missing for most of the times, he is the leader after all. Does this mean that I'm going to have to face consequences now?

"Oh yeah, just a simple question though." I shuddered, not being able to withstand the bad vibes that I'm getting from where this conversation is heading. Is he going to ask me what I'm doing here in the Labyrinth? Is he going to interrogate me on why I was disregarding my job? I swallowed whatever saliva that had accumulated.

"Where is your partner? You know, the one who came along with you from the Capital?"

Eh? Oh, he must be asking about Blade. I had thought that I was going to be interrogated about my negligence of duty. I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"He must be still wandering in the Middle Floors of the Labyrinth. We were separated when a part of the path collapsed between us during a fight with a pack of Kobolds."

"And judging from the extent of your injuries you suffered, he must have been carrying you throughout most of the fights. And with him gone, you become unable to stand up against the Danger Beasts and thus was defeated. Is this correct?" He continued for me, stopping me from what I was going to say. Whatever sense of relief I experienced earlier turned into dread, followed by guilt. Even when spoke with a voice that seem only capable of poking fun and teasing, his words still carried the same sting that an wrathful man would produce in front of his foe. Even though I wish to deny what he had said, I couldn't. What he had said was the truth. Even if I were to avert my eyes from the fact, I would eventually have to face reality.

I was weak.

The only reply I could give him comes in the form of a nod of my head. I couldn't even answer him through words.

He sighed before light-heartedly making some comment about how troublesome things are, reverting back to the him from before.

"Well, for now we should have you brought back to base. Judging from how much time has passed since you separated, your comrade should have either died or already returned to base." He remarked. "Then again, wouldn't this entire incident have been avoided if you had simply decided to not go adventuring in the Labyrinth an actually did your job."

I could only stiffen, fearing for the worst. I awaited for my punishment, which never came. However, I did receive a hard pat on my back. "Can't fault you for wanting to come down here. Even I would often neglect my duty and go around town to play. This city is a very fun place after all." I sweat-dropped at his statement. Is this really what a leader should be saying? How did he even get the position of the leader in the first place?

We eventually made our way back to our base. I wouldn't make any description about my journey back to the surface since it was uninteresting and proved itself to be a waste of time for me to even describe.

It took some time, but eventually we got back to the city above. Throughout the journey, Oda would strike up conversations with me. The conversations we shared has only made me more determined to smash him in the face, and particularly the face so as to wipe that smirk that he always carried on it.

"Hey, just asking, but was there anything strange when we came up just now?" His tone has changed. No longer was his playful nature present. If anything, he seems to be curious.

"Not really. Was something supposed to be out of place?"

"Hmm… It's probably nothing. I must be over-reacting."

I guess he does have his moments where he takes things seriously.

Pushing open the door, I walk into the pub. Oda followed soon after.

With some parting words, the both of us each headed in different directions. For me, my first priority would be search or the current whereab-

"Hmm? Oh, Tatsumi you're back."

As I pushed opened the door to my shared room, someone greeted me. Dispassionate tone which lacks any sort of emotion. I stared into blue orbs which carries indifference for a good five seconds, before my brain rebooted.

"Please close the door. The light from outside is blinding me."

Not knowing how to react, I complied with his order. It took another few moments to confirm that he was sitting at his usual place before I started to react.

"Blade, you're still alive! When did you get back?"

"Of course I would be still alive. I'm neither dumb enough nor weak enough to be killed easily by the Danger Beasts in that Labyrinth. As for the second question, I got back once I had managed to find a way out after we were separated."

"Eh? You didn't come looking for me?"

"Hmm? Why would you assume I would be looking for you? I doubt that you are dumb enough to not know when to retreat and run away, given how you have been surviving through pretty dangerous encounters so far."

"..."

Even though what he said was heartless and cruel, I comforted by the knowledge that he trusted me enough to wait for me to come back… relatively safely. Then again, shouldn't he be more concerned about a comrade's safety? At least try to look for me or something.

Well, whatever. I probably shouldn't question how he does things, since he does have more experience than me.

Currently, resting take precedence over everything else. My wounds may have healed to a certain extent, but it doesn't mean that I could move unimpeded. It was still painful whenever I perform certain actions. Not forgetting the fact that I have bandages wrapped excessively over my wound seem to add more weight, ensuring that I would have to exert more strength just to move around. The faster my wounds heal, the better.

If I had bothered to remove the bandages to check out my wounds, I would have discovered how my wounds were slowly closing by itself at an abnormal rate, and also how the blood from my wounds were no longer crimson red.

 **...**

{Third Person's Perspective}

Walking into his office, he took a seat at the desk.

Letting out a sigh, his eyes glanced over the endless papers stacked on his desk. Most were easy to do, simply writing reports. The harder ones, would involve a little more time and effort to complete.

He was already spent, having to quell the various shouts of anger and protest directed at him by his subordinates/followers.

Such was one of the downsides of skipping out on work. He doesn't regret his actions. Had he not done what he did, he would have died of boredom. He isn't some automaton who only does what he is made to do. He is a human capable of emotions and thoughts. It's not like he can't sit at his desk the entire day just doing paperwork, he simply needed something to entertain himself.

Of course, his followers were usually the ones who took the short end of the stick whenever he went missing. Most of the work are time-sensitive and whenever a deadline draws near, his followers would have to do his work for him whenever he isn't around. They did gripe about it sometimes… scratch that, they complains about him all the time.

Nonetheless, he would continue to skip out on work anyday. Overworking and suffering from boredom was the last thing he want to experience. His followers might grumble, but ultimately it was because he was always skipping out on work that he was able to solve most of the problems that they are required to face on a daily basis.

Taking the first set of papers on the desk, Oda began to write out his reports.

His thoughts went back to when he had extracted information from the Revolutionary Spy hiding in the city. It wasn't hard to figure out his identity. His sights constantly darted from one place to another and his pace was somewhat irregular. He would sometimes speed up or slow down when he arrive at certain places. It was no surprise that he was a spy.

He had been kept under supervision, revealing quite a bit of information to Oda through his everyday movement. Once he is deemed to no longer be of any use, Oda had swoop in to confront him. A more… unsavory method was employed. Oda had personally conducted the interrogations. It took some time, tools and mind games before the spy broke down and revealed everything. No information was withheld in order to buy him his life. By the end of the sessions, the man was a literal husk of what he once was. His eyes had lost any sort of color that was usually found in them, his face lacking any emotion, his mind was broken and his body was littered with scars, cuts, bruises and dried blood.

It was eventually decided that he would be put out of his misery, and would be buried to prevent any of his allies from recovering his body, lest they find out about his death. After all, it isn't uncommon for spies to simply vanish from the face of the earth.

Other spies working alongside the first one were also detained. Of course, it was done in moderation to prevent the Revolutionaries in the city from getting wind of their actions. All of the spies ended up in the similar state as the first one. The information extracted from the spies this time carries slightly more clues as to what they were planning in their city.

It was an absurd idea, one which was regarded as a 'Fool's Dream' should any sane person hear of it. However, there was something which stops him and his subordinates from dismissing the idea. It was something anyone could have spotted if they were observant enough.

All of the spies they captured were given similar facts regarding their mission here. Keyword here would be the 'similar'. From each of their mouth came similar facts, some carried more while others carried less. However, no two person has the same facts regarding their mission.

Oda sighed. Whoever the person had been the one in the Revolutionary Army who gave such orders, Oda could only regard him as either careless or scheming. Giving them different facts regarding what they must do, yet every of the spies would come up with the same idea of what they are expected to do. Should any one of them fall prey to people on the payroll of the Empire, none of them would divulge any sensitive or critical information, instead lowering the Empire's guard against the Revolutionary Army.

In Oda's opinion, whoever had made such plans was only slightly smarter than the rest of his peers. However, a small difference in such a case can be regarded as negligible the moment they have him as their competitor.

However, even if their plans was now revealed, it still doesn't solve anything.

'Just how are they even going to "destroy the city"?' Oda himself can think of numerous methods to do such a thing, but none of these methods can reflect what the person who devised such a plan was thinking other than being crazy or sadistic.

Oda stared at the paperwork on his table. He had already finished about a quarter of the things that he needed to do during his 'thinking sessions'. His eyes had darted around the room before his eyes landed on the words on his report.

'Was my handwriting always so bad?' The way the words he had written on the report was somehow different from his usual way of writing. No, it was written similarly but… it was just more blurry? He flipped through the previous reports that he had written prior to the one he was currently writing. True enough, all of the reports he had written for today and only today had been kind of blurry. It wasn't noticeable unless one looked closely.

'It was as if someone was shak-'

He paused. His eyes widened before a broad smile manifested itself on his face. He was already out of the door to his office before he could finish his thoughts.

Something interesting has made itself known.

 **...**

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

I was woken up by a weird feeling. For some reason, I can't seem to stop myself from feeling nervous. Nervous about what? I have no idea. Is this suppose to be some sort of premonition?

Ignoring the feeling, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before heading outside. Oda seem to have disappeared again, judging from the conversations among his subordinates. My shift doesn't start any time soon, so might as well spend it outside, exploring the city again. Blade was missing since this morning, probably outside to acquiring materials or something. It seems he was working on something amazing. However judging from the blueprints, there seem to be a lot of intricate components and sophisticated procedures involved in the process of constructing it. However, Blade seem to have reached a standstill. Probably because he lack certain tools to help him continue, or at least that is what I inferred from his vague answers.

I walked around the town's, hoping to find out more about the different guilds that are present in the city. It seems adventurers would form guilds, and issue quests to its members. However, it isn't uncommon for members of different guilds to party together just to complete a mission of a single guild.

However, this is only what is on the surface. According to Oda's subordinates, this town is essentially a city run by mercenaries. Everything can be solved with money. Adventurers accepting under table deals, enjoying certain privileges such as being allowed to kill others without suffering any sort of repercussions. It is kind of similar to the situation in the Capital, except for a simple fact that the City Lords here prefer to keep these things hidden for the sake of public image. Not like it would cover up anything.

My eyes darted towards the two tall towers in the centre of the city. For some reason, it seems blurry.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again. Why is the outline of the tower blurry?

What happened next took a few seconds for my mind to register. The ground beneath my feet began to shake. It began as a slight tremor, and slowly it increased in magnitude. I use the nearby wall of a building to steady myself.

I looked around, seeing many others in a similar plight.

The earth continue to shake, and I could do nothing but to steady myself and prevent myself from falling over.

Maybe it would stop eventually… was what I had thought before the ground beneath my feet gave way, and I fell into the dark abyss below. The last thing I felt was this sense of weightlessness like as if I am floating in the air, followed by a sudden and painful impact on my head and the immense pressure crushing down on me.

Soon, the world around me faded abruptly.

 **…**

 _Cold. I feel cold._

 _My mind was screaming in pain._

 _With a sudden jolt caused by the cold that I'm feeling, I was awake. I took while for my mind to register that I'm awake. Probably because of the cold feeling that currently afflicts me, I didn't really seemed too surprised. Maybe it's also because of the migraine that make thinking hard for me._

 _My eyes begin to scrutinise my surrounding. The roof seem to be made out of logs placed at an angle that prevents anything from the outside to leak through. There also seem to be wooden beams that supports the roof and keeps the different logs that makes this house stay in place, preventing the house from collapsing. What fine architecture. Such knowledge must have been obtained through experience and refinery by previous generations and passed down to the next generation._

 _My head starts to throb again, making further thoughts harder. I should probably stop thinking too much. I was currently lying on a bed, wrapped in layers of thick blankets. I also realise how there seem to be a heavy weight on my forehead. It was kind of damp. A bucket filled with water was placed beside the bed._

 _The room in which I am in is kind of small, but gives off a cosy atmosphere. It could be due to the lighting in the room lazily hanging from the roof, doing its job of illuminating the room. I can imagine how troublesome it must have been for the people to constantly light the candles every single day._

 _I tried my best to piece together what could have happened. I was about to die from… something. I couldn't remember clearly what happened to me the previous time I was awake, thanks to the migraine that makes my memories fuzzy. The next thing I know, I was in a bed struggling to find warmth. My body would tremble from the cold every few seconds, until I eventually tire myself out._

 _The only logical explanation I could think of would be how I was rescued._

 _Who rescued m-_

 _As if to answer my question, someone opened the door to the room. I could feel a waft of warm air flow into the room as the door opened fully, revealing someone who I assume was my saviour. She was dressed in a nice dress that covered her modest figure. Her brown hair was tied into a bun, and her sleeves on the dress she was wearing was folded up, perhaps to prevent it from getting dirty when she does the household chores._

 _Upon seeing that I was awake, she rushed over to my bedside._

" _You're awake!" To her exclamation, I could only nod but remaining silent._

" _That's good. You have been asleep for the past few days and even the doctors in the village had said that you won't survive. It's a miracle!"_

 _Maybe because her voice was loud and attracted his attention, someone else came into the room where I was resting in. Blonde hair coupled with blue eyes. He had also showed an expression of relief upon confirming that I was alive and well. The woman began to cry out her worries that she had accumulated for the past few days, while the man tried his best to calm her down. I silently watched their exchanges._

 _My mind still hurts and I can't seem to remember anything._

" _Oh, yeah. What's your name, little boy?" The woman asked me after she calmed down from her incessant worry-filled remarks._

 _I stared up at her, seemingly confused. Both the woman and man stared back expectantly._

 _I continued staring at them, and they continued staring at me. The staring contest lasted for less than a minute, before the woman ran out of patience._

" _Do you understand what we are saying?" I nodded._

" _Then what is your name?" she asked again. I stared at her again, not replying._

" _...Are you able to speak?" The man asked, realising something was amiss. I nodded again._

" _Then can you tell us your name?" He repeated her question. I stared at him again._

" _Could it be that he doesn't have a name?" The man whispered to the woman._

" _Nonsense. He's just shy around strangers, that's all." The woman said to the man, disregarding the man's efforts in trying to keep the conversation to themselves._

 _I no longer paid any attention to their conversation. I was confused. Ever since they asked me for my name, I was unable to shake off this feeling. I tried to remember, but my mind was foggy. Like I was almost there, but yet wasn't. Everything that I tried to remember was covered in heavy fog, and eventually I don't even know what I was searching for._

 _My head hurting every time I even try to recollect was not helping either._

 _They seem to have stopped arguing and I direct my eyes back to them._

" _Say, do you remember what your name is?" The man asked. I thought for some moments, enduring the pain my head is giving me before replying them with a shake of my head._

" _What about your family? Do you know where they are?" I shook my head. I could feel their looks of pity directed at me. There was this uneasy silence that resonated throughout the room. I observed their expressions. The woman seems to be in thought, while the man was trying his best to determine his next course of action._

 _The man seems to be at a loss at what to do. The woman however, has other plans._

" _Then, we should give you a name." She replied. Both the man and I were taken aback by her actions. With her proclamation, she began to wrack her mind, trying to think of a suitable name to call me. I could only stare at her. Was it out of curiosity, or was it out of anticipation? The man had tried to dissuade her of such a decision, but all of his words fell on deaf ears. In the end, the man can only concede._

 _My eyelids were getting heavier, prompting me to sleep. I am still a child and there are still quite a bit of things, like sleep in this instance, that I am unable to resist. I could still hear the man and woman bickering in the background, but for some reason it was soothing and only made me sleepier. Their voices were warm, so warm that even the cold that I was feeling a few moments ago seem to have faded away for the time being._

" _Tatsumi! Yes, Tatsumi! That shall be his name. How about it?" The woman asked. To whom I have no idea. Since at this point of time, my eyes were already closed._

* * *

 **Hello again!**

 **Firstly, allow me to apologise. I have so much things happening that I no longer have enough time to write, and can only rely on my scarce free time to write this. This would also result in other stories being delayed as well.**

 **It also doesn't help when I have a few story ideas that I am working on and is also busy crafting new plot-line. Most of my time were pretty much spent writing those stories as well. I would try my best to finish this story, which might take a while considering how much content I have to cover.**

 **This is the last chapter of this arc. I would be bringing forward some of the plans I previously had for this story. Don't hate me nor blame me when you realise some of the characters in this fanfiction differs from the original. This is my fanfiction, I make the rules and how everything here work.**

 **The next chapter might take some time as well so to everyone who has followed this story, please be patient. I might also consider doing more fanfictions along the way, but this one takes priority. I feel more determined to finish this fanfiction...for some reason.**

 **Anyways, allow me to answer some pairing issues. I appreciate your votes, but give me solid reasons… like why this pairing makes sense and how it can actualise. I know, I know, sometimes a pairing doesn't have to make sense, like how I'm still voting for RakuXMarika in Nisekoi even though the official pairing is completed…(Still sad, even though I knew from the start this ship can't sail…), but even then, give me a good reason to...err...motivate(?)... I dunno the right word… so that I know how to write it out.**

 **All the other people who have read 'Finding Her Prince' and are following it, please be patient as the next update for this story might take quite some time. I might post an article on why later on, but please know that I am using a large majority of my time to work on this fanfiction. The updates might take a while, but nonetheless I would not leave it unfinished… like some authors on this FanFiction.**

 **Well, I've ranted enough. I'm gonna continue my work. I am not be a student now, since I have a job that pays me. I might apply for my University in a year or two, but for now I need to work. Constant studying is bad for my health…**

 **Thank you for reading. See you in the next chapter.**


	21. Chapter 21: Fall I

"Speech"

'Thoughts/Voices'

 **[Names of Equipments or Imperial Arms or Weapons/Title]**

 _Flashback/Dreams_

* * *

 _Volume 2: Chapter 8: Fall I_

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

Light. A single ray of light shines down from above, acting as the only source of illumination in this pitch black pit. It wasn't bright, but allowed me to discern the faint outlines of things in my surrounding.

Dust boldly flew around in the air,causing some sort of light show every time it gets near the ray of light. Grunts of pain came from all over the place, signaling to me that I'm not the only one suffering. Small hills comprising entirely of rubble was now a common sight. In fact, there is so much debris that some even clung to my body. Some were even the primary cause for my sorry state. A massive piece of rubble rested comfortably on my left arm, while another was found clamping down on my right leg. Other smaller pieces of rubble can be found on me as well.

I made attempts to move, something I normally do when waking up from sleep. The pain derived from doing so brought me back to reality in less than an instant. My movements are now impeded. There are also minor cuts and bruises I acquired throughout my body. There was also an annoying ringing in my head which contributes to the injury count I accumulated. No need to say, I was very fortunate to still be alive after falling from a height of… who knows how much.

Pushing against the uneven rubble that traps my left arm, I was able to pivot it to a certain angle just enough to free my left hand. Several groans of pain later and a gruesome mess of what was once my arm was free. Oddly enough, even with some fractured bones and some pieces of bones sticking out of my arm, it didn't hurt as much as I think it would so long I don't touch it any more than necessary. The fact that I have both of my hands now...didn't make my existing situation any better. There is absolutely no way my left arm is usable in any situation.

All that remains is my right leg. Just like my left arm, bones were broken. I tried pushing it off using my left leg but it didn't even budge. Then again even if the rubble on my leg is removed, I wouldn't have gotten any further ahead. There is still the problem of getting out of this place. Some time had passed since falling into this pit and there is bound to be Danger Beasts lurking in the shadows. I did fall into a Labyrinth after all. With my less dominant arm and my dominant leg out of commission, I won't be able to protect myself very well.

Whoever thought of building a city above a nest of Danger Beasts?

All I could do would be to wait for help.

So I waited and waited even more. Dust and small pieces of rubble from above would settle down over time, contributing to the occasional sounds that I could hear not including the groans of other victims. There were some shouts from others, but most were simply cries for help. I didn't bother replying them. I was in a similar position as them and simply could not provide any form of aid for them. In fact, I was counting on their cries bring help.

 _Thump_

After who knows how long, I could hear footsteps. It was faint, but I could hear them clearly. Relief spread through my body. It is still some distances away. I need to signal to whoever it was so that they would know where we are.

I tried to shout but my parched throat didn't allow me to do so without causing me pain. I should probably find another method to produce sound. Picking up a piece of rubble from the ground around me, I smashed it onto the ground where it was picked up from. A tapping without any sort of pattern sounded, just loud enough to be heard from a distance. Whoever made those footsteps would have heard the tapping.

Sound! I need to signal to them with sound. I tried to shout, but my throat was already parched and my body has already succumbed to exhaustion. Who knows when was the last time I had water and food. Picking up a rock near my right hand, I begin to tap it on the ground in a slow rhythmic pattern, but loud enough to be heard from a distance. I was simply hoping someone would notice the sound.

 _Thump Thump Thump_

I could hear those footsteps approach. With renewed vigor, I tapped the rock even harder onto the ground, causing it to crumble into small tiny particles. Even if it broke, it was more than enough. The tapping caught the attention of the other survivors in the area who eventually took note of the footsteps. Shouts were heard, calling for the ones who made those footsteps.

There seems to be more than one person, a deduction made from the irregular rhythm and even overlapping sounds to the footsteps. Help is finally here! The other survivors also seem to notice this, and some of the more spirited survivors started to shout out to our would-be rescuers, hoping for aid to be rendered to them first.

It would only be a matter of time before they discover me.

Everything is alright now.

Help is here.

 _Squelch_

Eh?

There was this wet noise, the sound you make when your boots were removed from mud on a rainy day. It was accompanied by a silence. A total silence that lasted for only a few seconds, which seems longer than I thought.

An ear-piercing scream resonated across the area, followed by a swift sound akin to whistles before something wet but warm landed on my face. My fingers landed on the thing that landed on my face. It was warm to touch and was kind of sticky like slime. There was even a faint metallic scent. I removed my fingers from the slime and held it up to the light. My eyes adjusted to the light, revealing to me what had stained my fingers.

It was red….and sticky...reeks of metal.

Realisation sank in. Relief fades away, replaced by overwhelming despair.

Screams began to echo throughout the area once they realize what's happening. Some threats were heard, but it was simply drowned out by the other noises in the area. Some survivors had tried to put up trivial resistance but with the fear of impending doom and the injuries and exhaustion placed on them, it was only a matter of time before they too were slaughtered. Honestly, it was nothing but a one-sided massacre.

Footsteps arrived at where I was. My eyes moved from my fingers to the source of the footsteps.

Humanoid body structure, pig-like features and covered entirely in hair from head to toe. Two tusks protruded from the corners of its mouth, reinforcing their similarity to boars. It also had an abundance of fat on its body, making their bodies roundish. Boars that stand on hind legs. Its forelegs were actual hands, gripping tightly onto all sorts of blunt weapons. Possessing no intellect within their eyes, they act purely on instinct and experience.

An **[Elder Orc]** , leading a band of **[Orcs]**.

Orcs hunts in packs. Strength commonly lies in numbers after all. Individually, any rookie Adventurer or Mercenary would be able to defeat an Orc without much trouble. However, if encountered in packs, even experienced Mercenary Corps or Adventurer Party would experience some form of hardship when dealing with them.

Currently, the Danger Beast looming above me wields a blunt weapon resembling a club made from the stem of an uprooted oak tree. Its head is exposed, revealing visible scars on its head. Some pieces of armor littered across its body. A pauldron, rerebrace, couter, vambrace, and gauntlet made out of sturdy steel was firmly attached to his left hand, protecting his entire left hand. Had he had a few more pieces of armor on his left arm, he could have had a full set of armor… for one arm. This Danger Beast species should supposedly tower above me at a height of 3 meters normally. However, since its an Elder Orc, one which has survived countless battles against other Danger Beasts and adventurers, it should possess a considerable amount of experience. Living for a considerably longer period of time than others of its kind, its height was further increased by another 1 meter should it have been compared to a normal Orc. It is also slightly smarter...only by a bit.

I don't have the time to be thinking about other things.

The Elder Orc trundled towards my location. Upon descrying my miserable form with one leg trapped underneath the rubble, the corner of his mouth begins to widen, forming a large ghastly smirk on his face. It trundles towards me, each step seems to be capable of causing a miniature quake. Using every bit of my remaining strength, I tried my best to remove myself from under the rubble. I furiously kicked the rubble on my right leg while tugging my right leg, ignoring the pain that was induced as a result of my actions in hopes of being able to remove it from underneath the rubble. I could hear the snort and chuckles of the Orcs nearby watching me at my futile attempts for survival.

It was ineffective and I eventually subjected myself to stop all actions and watch him in despair once he got close enough. Escape was no longer possible. Maybe it was more accurate to say that escaping wasn't even an option in the first place, judging from this battered and broken body of mine.

It stopped before me and lifted the giant club above his head before slamming it down on me in one swift motion.

 _Squelch_

There was no pain. There was this fast impact on my left arm, but that only lasted for an instant. Surprised, I glanced towards my left, only to find a miniature geyser of blood coming from the stump that was once my left hand. Looking even further beyond, I could see my left hand. It took another few more seconds before it registered in my mind what had happened.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH"

My ears hurt. I was screaming my lungs out, reverberate across the area I was in. My vision was blurry and unfocused. When I run out of the air, I simply stopped to breathe before screaming again. I could hear some laughter mixed in with the screams. Looking towards the source, I could find them coming from the Elder Orc. It was distant, however. Like a small voice mixed in with a variety of other sounds, yet able to distinguishable from the rest.

My right hand clutched the stump, an instinctive reaction made to stem the bleeding. It was pain which I have never felt before. I could do nothing but scream. I directed my hate-filled eyes towards the Elder Orc. I could feel that it was enjoying every bit torturing me. I tried renewing my efforts in getting away, but no action was made. I was paralyzed with fear and pain.

Whispers.

Within all that screaming, my ears pick up whispers.

Just like that period of time, voices began to resurface in my mind. It had halted for a while…no, that's incorrect. It was always there. I simply ignored and got used to it and it eventually dwindled down to nothing.

So why? Why, after all this time, did it resurface? Why did I take note of them?

'Are you really alright with this?' A single voice within the collective voices muttered out.

I paid it no mind. In my current situation, I gain nothing from listening to it. I can deal with it only if I survive through this ordeal. I could hear some sighs from those voices. There was some murmuring as if they were discussing something before they stopped… completely. I can't seem to catch anything from their conversation, not that I paid much attention to it in the first place.

Following that, a series of events began to unfold.

My right hand was removed from clutching the stump which was once my left hand… against my will. Blood flowing from the stump gradually slowed to a trickle. My right hand that was once clutching my bleeding stump is now in front of me with outstretched fingers. It looked at me confused before its expression turned into shock. Seconds later, small black particles were now floating out of the skin of the Elder Orc, assimilating and attaching itself to stump before extending out slowly in hat looks like an imperfect cylinder. Slowly faux bones, muscle, sinew, flesh, nerves, and skin began to form within the black cocoon of what looks to be my left arm. It connected itself to the stump, inciting a small jolt of electricity that generated a small grunt of pain from my lips. When it's done, it looked just like my hand before. The only difference would be the color.

"T-This is…" I gasped at the phenomenon. Just like that time when I coincidentally rescued those three girls, my body was no longer in my control. I can only gaze, astonished at the spectacle before me. Colors gradually dyed my hand from where my stump was and eventually my hand regenerated. Whoever controlled my movements gave it some experimental test, bending my joints and giving it some quick test punches. Naturally, control over bodily functions was not returned to me so I could only watch as it did what it wanted.

The Elder Orc recovered from its shock and wasted no time at all to launch another strike. It must have panicked upon seeing that I had my arm regenerated and assessed that I could be a possible threat. It had also called for other Orcs nearby for help, hoping to overwhelm me with numbers. Seconds before its weapon could reach me, black spikes pierced into his body. I directed my eyes towards the closest source. From what was once my left hand, a black spike could be seen coming out of it. Looking at it for a moment longer, I could see that same blackness starting to spread. Before long, the flesh, bones, and blood that was once mine turned into black sludgy liquid.

All these took less than a few moments. I took another breath, trying to calm myself down. Was I hyperventilating? I tried my best to control my breathing, but so far none of the method employed was effective.

Turning my eyes back to the Danger Beast before me, I could see how the flesh surrounding its wounds were slowly dyed black. It gave a few cries of pain and made several attempts to free himself. However, no matter how much it struggles, none of its efforts were rewarded.

Serves you right. was what flashed through my mind upon laying eyes on it suffering state, though it was only for an instant. I was more afraid of what was going to happen to me.

The ink black spikes have started to 'melt' and splattered onto the floor in a variety of wet noises. Moments later, the Elder Orc and the band of Orcs are also collapsed onto the hard ground. Sounds of pain echoed once more in my general vicinity.

Okay, Okay. What the heck just happened? This isn't normal. Since when was I capable of such feats. I don't deny that weird things had happened before, but what just happened seems to top everything that has been happening so far on the weird scale. This is just an impos-AHHHHH

As I was brooding over what had just happened, the black liquid which was once solid slid across the ground like snakes before coalescing itself around my crushed right leg. Bones which were crushed began to realign and mend. Immense pain flooded through my nerves. The process took only a few seconds, but the pain that lasted for several moments longer made it seem as if the wound was still there. Some of it traveled to my other wounds. Any excess black liquid not used simply slithered around my body, seemingly protecting me as my injuries heal.

My body stood up from where it was lying on the ground. After giving my right leg some firm step as a test, it walked towards the kneeling figure of the Elder Orc. The black liquid followed, slithering along the ground close to me. It would keep close, but maintaining a certain distance so as to not impede my movements.

The Elder Orc was riddled with holes in its body. It's weapon no longer in his grasp. Hunched over, it tried to stem the bleeding from some of the major area with its right arm. Its left arm dangled uselessly by its side. The weight of the armor on its arm must have been too great for it to lift in his current state.

Halting my footsteps before him, my left hand reached out towards him.

Eyeing an opening, his left hand curled into a fist and flew towards me. I was knocked away by a blow to my side… or at least that must have been how it (including me) envisioned. The reality was different, however. The black liquid shot up from the ground and stabbed into his left hand that was still in motion. It tore through the armor and pierced through its forearms. Acting similar to a tentacle, it wrapped itself around the forearm before dragging the Elder Orc face-first into the ground. Its other hand pushed against the ground, trying with all its might to get back up. Had there been no other interferences, it just might be able to break free through sheer strength. However, the other parts of the black liquid did not remain idle. Piercing into its flesh from different angles, numerous spikes rose from the ground.

A firm grasp placed its head prompted some of the black liquid to slither upwards; traveling around my leg, across my torso and slithering around my right arm. The same right hand shot forwards before piercing into its flesh, giving the black liquid a way into its body. Once all of it has entered, my body retracted my hand and shook off the crimson liquid covering it in one swift motion. I watched as the Elder Orc started to make all sorts of expression. From its initial pain-filled one, it moved on to one resembling confusion before descending slowly into a mixture of pain and despair. Its mouth opened in a silent scream before it collapsed. Black liquid flowing out of his wounds traveled across the body and before long, the corpse was covered head to toe in it.

'I guess that should do.' the voice in my head began to speak once again. It seems as though he was somewhat refreshed. The black liquid moved away from the corpse which is now devoid of any form of flesh. As if not satisfied, it disseminated and headed towards the other numerous prey in the area. It seemed as though they were ravenous, to the extent that I could hear their imaginary voices. The corpse of humans, injured bodies of Orcs. It didn't care for who it was. As long as something is deemed as food, it simply consumes.

What… just happened? Is there a way to explain this? In the first place can such a thing even be explained?

Thoughts flowed in my mind, but nothing conclusive was formed.

*sigh* 'What a pain. Why are such reactions labeled as normal? Can't you just ask instead of trying to make up answers of your own?' The voice in my head asked.

"Huh? W-what?" I muttered out before I realized.

'What a typical response.' *sigh* 'There is no need to speak to me like that. Just imagine words in your mind. That would allow you to communicate with us.'

'Like this?' I tried to voice mentally. It was a different experience when thinking of words. Usually, my thoughts should come to me without any effort. Thinking of the words to the thoughts I harbor is somewhat taxing since there is an additional step of paying attention to them.

'Oo, he got it on the first try. He's a fast learner despite how he looks.'

A different voice commented this time.

'That or I give good instructions. Now could you please be quiet? You speaking might serve to confuse him further.' the initial voice spoke.

'What do you mean? He's been taking everything that's happened so far somewhat well. I'm sure having me join in at this point won't change anything at all.'

'That isn't the issue here! We have to break it to him little by little. Dumping everything at him all at once won't help him in any way. That's why if you could please just let me handle this, I'll ensure he at least knows the basic of what's going on.'

'Tsk. Fine!'

*sigh* 'Well that's one problem gone. Anyways, are you still listening?'

I nodded, only to realize how I should have replied to him mentally instead of using body languages. He might not be able to pick up my movements given how he sees through my eyes, or so I assume.

'Good.' It seems he was able to read my movements. 'Since we are in your mind, we see through your eyes and are capable of reading your thoughts and commands before they turn into actions. We don't really do the latter part though. You won't like it if someone can read your mind right? It's that kind of reason as to why we prefer you to speak to us mentally. Now, do you have any questions you wanna ask?'

Having been thrown into such a weird situation, I should probably calm down and think about what is going on. There's a lot of questions I want to ask, but yet nothing was translated into words. I guess the most basic question should be...

'Y-You have been talking for quite some time so I didn't have the courage to interrupt, but who are you?'

'Standard question. Hmmm...I wonder who I am as well. To be honest with you, I have no idea who I am at this moment.' This is definitely not the answer I was expecting. Isn't the identity of oneself extremely important? His tone made it seem like as if it was nothing important to him. 'I do possess memories and the personality of someone which I'm unsure whether or not is me. For now, I would regard them as mine.'

I am unsure if he could see the frown that had appeared on my face.

'If it's too hard for you to comprehend, you can simply think of us as people who share your body. Like multiple players using the same account to play a game. Don't think too much about it."

'Players? Account? I feel like I heard something I'm not supposed to know. Wait… you mentioned us, so exactly how many people are inhabiting my body?' I asked.

'Not very much. Maybe about a handful. I've never met all of them so I'm not too sure myself. That won't be too much of a problem though. At most, it would be noisier than usual. In your head only.'

'Is that the reason I keep hearing screams?'

'Screams? Oh...that. Don't pay them any mind. It's kind of creepy at first but becomes downright annoying when you get used to it.'

'You know who's making them?'

'One thing at a time. It's best you don't know. It'll make things harder to comprehend if you know too much at the start.'

I sweatdropped at his comments. This is already too much to digest so I guess it okay to ignore that for now? People living inside of me, mystery power which I never seem to recall where I got it from. At least now I can blame every weird thing that happened to me previously and in the future on this power.

I looked down at my feet. From who knows when the black liquid had gathered once again after who knows what it had done and simply circled around me. It seemed to have increased in volume. This reminds me…

'Say, what is this black liquid exactly?' My hands reached out to touch it, slipping in without much effort. Its texture and feel resemble that of any liquid you could find.

'Hmm...I wonder what it is as well. It would be convenient to call it 'Darkness', but anyone with a bit of knowledge would know that darkness is simply the lack of light. I won't say it is darkness, seeing as to how it has a form. I've used this Imperial Arm before but has never been successful in unlocking its secret. This 'Darkness' is capable of almost anything. You can use it to create objects, replace lost body parts or heal your injuries, reanimate the dead and a variety of other uses. The weirdest part is how it's alive - or at least seems to be alive. I also noticed how it was different from the last time I saw it. A few changes must have taken place.'

'So this is an Imperial Arm after all. Are you the previous user or something? Also is there any drawbacks from using this power?'

'Well, I am not the previous user personally...though I used it before so I guess you can consider myself a previous user? As to your second question, I have used it a few times before while I was controlling your bodily functions. I don't have definite answers, but it seems physical and mental fatigue are some of the more lighter consequences. The power hasn't been overused yet so I can't say for certain that what I mentioned are the only downsides. I don't even know if you can even overuse this thing.'

For some reason, my impression of this person in my head is steadily dropping. He doesn't seem to have concrete answers to some of the more important answers. Then again, he isn't the only person in my head. Had he been the only person, I won't have made it so far… right? There's bound to be someone reliable among them right?

'You thought of something rude about me, didn't you?'

'I-It must have been your imagination!' I hastily tried to cover up my thoughts on him. Isn't he surprisingly perceptive?'

'Hmmm...Whatever. It's about time for the side-effects to kick in. You can consider that fortunate. We can have a long talk when you get here. You have too many questions and I have the obligation to answer them.' *sigh*

'Where am I going?'

'Oh don't worry. I simply going to pull your consciousness into this mindscape so that you could see us. We could hold a conversation here without being affected by what goes on outside. You can say it's kind of convenient.'

'Wha-'

I never got to finish. As soon as I wanted to pose my next question, my body began to shut down. My vision slowly got blurry before it faded to gray and finally became black.

 **...**

{Third Person's Perspective}

 **[Fortress City of Thiriom]**

The current haven for adventurers within the Empire located in the east of the Capital, it had existed since the founding of the Empire by the First Emperor. Though unclear why it was around for so long, many Imperial Historians have speculated that it could have been used as a defense line against attacks from nearby nations of that time. The fortress city was noted to have been taken over on many occasions and taken back just as many times. However, the fact that a Labyrinth also existed underneath the city was also not missed. Once relative peace was achieved within the Empire after its founding, the city began to attract adventurers due to the existence of the Labyrinth under the city. Although most of the Mythical-Class and Legendary-Class Danger Beasts within the Labyrinth were slain by the soldiers of the First Emperor to craft the Imperial Arms, it was still a nest of Danger Beasts. The subjugation of the Danger Beasts within the labyrinth ensured a constant source of rare materials, attracting greedy merchants. Through trade, revenue generated by merchants began to rise. Taxes was implemented by the nobles governing the city to direct some of the revenue to the pockets of the nobles. Before long, the Emperor of the Empire took notice and decided to use this city to generate revenue for the Empire in the form of annual tax.

This city is currently under the jurisdiction of the Fleurbreme House with the high noble status of Earl.

The Fleurbreme house was found during the early days of the Empire. In that time, an abundance of untamed lands was a common sight. However, the Royal Family and the Imperial Nobles were kept busy by the constant harassment of other nations surrounding the Empire as well as the uprising resistance groups within the Empire formed by the remnants soldiers of former nations crushed and annexed by the Empire in their last attempt to restoring their nation. It was not a hard fight thanks to the Imperial Arms the Empire possess. However, it was no easy task as well. Manpower was spread thin to handle all of the problems at once. It was time-consuming and no excess manpower was available for the development of uncultivated lands within the Empire. Pioneering Corps assembled by volunteers comprising mostly of Third and Fourth sons of Imperial Noble Houses who are tempted by the prospects of acquiring noble status emerged to cut open paths into savage lands. The initial status of the volunteers ensured that they had slim chances of inheriting their House's wealth or even becoming the head of the House. Their imminent futures would be arranged marriages with other noble Houses and if that didn't work out, losing their status as nobles. The reward for their successful pioneering would be the lands they found as well as status. Feudal Lords began to pop up everywhere and they were granted the noble title of Knight and even allowed to raise an army of their own, so long they remain loyal to the Emperor.

The founder of the Fleurbreme House had cut open lands close to Thiriom in his time. As centuries pass, the Fleurbreme House who faithfully served the Royal Family acquired the noble title of Earl/Count for their loyalty, gaining numerous vassals and reaping countless achievements. Naturally, their land had expanded and eventually Thiriom was placed under their care.

(A/N: Earl and Count is essentially the same in the Nobility Hierarchy. The reason for the different names is due to origins(Roman, German English etc.). If not mistaken, their powers are next in line after Marquis/Margrave. )

The current Head of the Fleurbreme Feudal Noble House, Hadarone Fleurbreme was often regarded as a shrewd man. Born as the second son of his household, he was always considered as lacking whenever compared to his elder brother to the point he developed an inferiority complex towards his Brother. Inheritance was not possible when his Brother was more favored than him. He schemed to remove his brother from the race. Once he turned 15, he had his brother cornered and planted false charges on him. Once his father banished his brother from the house, he had hired bandits to ambush his brother and have him killed. Naturally, the bandits were killed by soldiers of the House a few days later to cement a good image of himself in the eyes of his people and to also get rid of evidence relating him to the death of his brother.

With obstacles removed, he was able to become the Head of the Fleurbreme House without much trouble and he began to live his life carefree without any motivation.

When Honest came to power, he realized how much of a threat Honest is. He heard of rumors of how Honest gather support by buying favours from the Second or Third Sons of influential imperial noble families, enticing them with the offer of becoming the next head of their respective houses in exchange for support to be chosen as the next Prime Minister. It was to ensure these noble families becomes easy to control once he became the Prime Minister. Once he received the title of Prime Minister of the Empire, he made efforts towards quelling the chaos the Duke families caused within the Capital that the Previous Emperor was unable to stop due to his failing health, which was made worse by Honest later on once the fights were resolved eventually leading to his demise.

He decided to distance himself from Honest and the Capital, moving only when necessary. He didn't support Honest and neither did he oppose him, something which annoyed the Prime Minister to no ends. Once Honest has quelled the chaos caused by the Dukes within Imperial Nobles in the Capital, Honest next big project involved removing the power the Fleurbreme House held. Honest's caution was warranted. However, as the Fleurbreme House has been governing Thiriom for the past few generations, the House naturally had connections from multiple other houses both within and outside of the Capital who also wished to acquire a small portion of the profits generated by the city. Most of the High-Ranking Imperial Court Officials were in his favor. Honest's countless attempts at removing his influence never actualized. He was unable to remove Thiriom from their governance since doing so would only garner dissatisfaction towards himself. Removing allied Houses of the Fleurbreme house was also not possible due to the amount of damage he has to cause. Direct confrontation would also be mistaken by the other nobles as being petty. He had also dispatched assassins to kill him and bandits to kidnap members of his family to use as bargaining chips. It was foiled every time.

The profits generated from Thiriom was immense. Majority of the profits was spent on crafting superior equipment as well as training and cultivating elite and talented soldiers. Rumor has it that these soldiers were on the same standard as the Emperor's Personal Guards. Even servants and maids of the House were taught the basics of combat and education. Bodyguards and soldiers of the Fleurbreme House were more than capable of repelling any attacks Honest decides to send their way.

After many indirect confrontations between the two, numerous letters were eventually exchanged and the two sat down and talked it over. They had compromised and promised to remain indifferent to the affairs of one another and let the other person do as they please unless one party is suspected to be taking hostile actions against the other, during which the other party would be taken as declaring his intent for war unless compensation was made. It was also put on paper to signify its authenticity, even if this contract was made under the table.

Nobles are prideful creatures. Their social class is ranked just below Royalty. It may seem counterintuitive, but no matter how corrupt they are they won't let anyone or anything tarnish on their name. They are very similar to merchants in their thinking which makes them easy to predict and manipulate. Even though most of their decisions revolve the cost-benefit thinking, they value and honor connections and promises made with others. They do break promises as well, but they make sure to cover it up to the best of their abilities so as to keep up their image. In such a case, even if Honest were to do anything sly and fishy against the Fleurbreme House, all it takes is to have the contracts consisting of their agreement and also evidence of past attempts at assassination revealed to ruin Honest's reputation among the nobles. Consequences vary from losing political allies to being removed from the position of Prime Minister. For Honest, he wouldn't have to worry about the Fleurbreme going against him during his time as the Prime Minister.

The power held by the Fleurbreme House exist only because of the city Thiriom. All their achievements couldn't even compare to the value that the city held. Once the news regarding the collapse within the city reached the ears of Hadarone, he was immediately thrown into a frenzy and spent the next few sleepless nights trying his best to mitigate the potential consequences this catastrophe would bring.

Had the damage only be limited to a small section of the city, solutions would have been simple. Just toss in a few hundred gold into reconstruction and everything would go back to normal within a few months - weeks if every worker worked overtime. Even without sending any of his precious soldiers down to the field, he could do put up requests with more than favorable rewards and the masses of Adventurers and occasional Mercenaries Corps with financial issues within the city would flock to him asking for details. Manpower was hardly an issue.

Take note, 'was'. Adventurer parties out on odd jobs or Subjugation Quests posted by their respective Guilds. Mercenary Corps, hired by incompetent or paranoid feudal nobles in the Empire who are unable to amass enough military power to deal with skirmishes on the borders of their land. Traveling Merchants who have yet to return from their travels. Take away this small handful of people and you have the total number of victims in this incident.

Where is the manpower going to come from other than his soldiers? And how much Golf does it take to rebuild the entire city? And how long before it's completed? Even if the city was rebuilt, it would take years if not decades before that city starts generating profits again.

All these thoughts troubled the Patriarch of the Fleurbreme House to no end.

'Knights have to be sent to help with evacuation and rescue of possible survivors. Various countermeasures need to be implemented to tide over the possible threats faced during the period of rebuilding the city. Heads of other noble Houses would start coming to him currying favors from me all to maximize the profits they leech off from me once this incident is resolved. And who's to say they won't just abandon me right now or seize the city for themselves amidst all the chaos?' Hadarone allowed himself to sigh, hoping that in doing so all of his pent-up frustrations would be released together with it.

He was never one to invest in pipes or cigars to help soothe his nerves. Instead, he despises the thought of even being offered one. It's what he considered as an effective way of shortening one's lifespan and being offered one was like being told to die early - though he does understand their sentiments and would reject them politely. No way in the nine levels of hell would he ever allow himself to die early without being able to enjoy life's pleasures to the utmost limit.

Though some of his personal hobbies he takes pleasure in might draw suspicion to what kind of a person he might actually be. Of course, only when one finds out. Precaution is the best word that defines his current way of life and would continue to be for the long time coming. Thoughts and actions were always moderated before he made them known.

'That sly bastard hiding behind the throne is also another headache. There is no way that bastard would not jump at such a once in several lifetimes opportunity to get me under his thumb permanently. I bet my entire fortune that he would laugh his ass off just thinking of my predicament when he hears of the city's collapse. It won't be long before Imperial Soldiers of the Capital starts making their way towards my city and began stealing every valuable they can find. To make things even worse, he might renew his efforts in sabotaging me. God knows what plans he might devise this time.'

His left hand reached for the thin metal piece that rested on the bridge of his nose that is connected to two rectangular lenses on each side and set them down on his desk. Bloodshot eyes were revealed - the result of his efforts in pulling all-nighters which he deeply regrets doing but claims that it is a necessity. Placing his fingers on his temples he started rubbing them hoping to ease his mind from the head-splitting pain in his head he had been enduring for the past few days, which was a miraculous result of him taking breaks at intervals during his work.

Even that break was slowly dwindling in numbers as the hours passes by like seconds. Time isn't a luxury he can afford in his current situation. It wasn't wrong to say he is on borrowed time.

It would be time before respective Heads of his vassal Houses starts heading towards his mansion to seek an audience to discuss possible countermeasures as well as to provide manpower to help him in his evacuation efforts in the city. They should have already left for his mansion as he thinks of this.

Looking back towards papers sprawled across his desk, his hand got back to work crafting reports and all kinds of dispatches that would be enacted in the coming days. His mind laid out all kinds of plans, while his hands worked to put those down into words and make them a reality.

He has no time for breaks least someone stole the march on him.

 **…**

{Tatsumi's Perspective}

When I opened my eyes, all kinds of sights were firmly imprinted in my eyes.

A world of white. Other than the ground which I step on, everything else was mostly white. Oddly, the world illuminated by that same shade of white. It wasn't just emitting light from one spot, but every part of the white sky was giving off light.

The ground, however, was dyed black. Pitch black. Looking at it is like looking at a bottomless pit. Maybe because of the white of everything else, the black ground seemed more ominous and foreboding. If one stared at it long enough, one would find some sort of movement within the ocean underneath. Stepping on this black ground creates ripples on the surface of it. With all that said, it was as if I am standing in the middle of a large black water ocean. The earth was like ice forming on this ocean. Liquid underneath, but solid on where you're stepping on. Occasionally, small black particles would rise up from this black ground like ashes carried into the sky by the heat and wind. These black particles would rise up and eventually you won't find any trace of it, disappearing into the far white skies above.

The terrain was lackluster, lacking any form flora or fauna. There are some black extensions from the ground that looks like the remains of dead trees without any leaves or life. I guess you could call these black trees landforms. There were also white pillars with intricate carvings on them extending down from the sky above, though they didn't seem to touch the ground. These pillars don't exude any light like the sky and in some places the black dying trees of certain height would wrap itself around the white pillars, forming some sort of pretty scene involving two opposite colors. The land was also uneven, forming faux slopes and hills. In the far distance, you would see a tall black hill littered with marble white gravestones and white pristine swords littered around said gravestones.

"Weak." A gruff voice brought me out of my sightseeing.

Directed towards the source of the voice, my eyes landed on a mountain. A man that towers over me with at least 3 times my height. His hair tied into a neat ponytail similar to how girls would do. Yet however, nothing feminine could be felt from his attire and the air he carries. If I wasn't mistaken, there are some place within and outside of the Empire where males keep long hair. Developed muscles could be found all over his tanned body. The stern expression he carries mixed together with his intimidating aura reinforced his image of strength. I swear he is the type of people who would plunge headfirst into a fist fight against an entire horde Danger Beasts and still be able to live through the ordeal.

With arms crossed, he gazed down at my cowering figure desperately trying to prevent myself from shaking. I didn't reply to his comment, mostly because I didn't know what to say to him.

What can I say in my current situation?

Apologise? I feel like he would really lash out at me if I did that. If I could choose between a sword or his fists to help send me to the afterlife, I would undoubtedly choose the sword. It won't hurt as much.

"Cut him some slack, will ya? The kid's already shaking because of your staring." A new voice sounded. A scoff from the previous speaker was the only form of reply obtained. Turning to the newcomer that made himself known, I laid eyes on a well-built man. He wasn't as built as the person before, but he did have an ample amount to suggest that he could hold his own in a fight. Messy unkempt hair, fair complexion, and a loud voice. His clothes didn't help to earn himself points as well. Some parts of his pants were torn and skin was exposed. The sleeve of his shirt was also ripped. Even I would pay the minimum amount of attention to my appearance. If he is trying to keep up a feral look, he did a great job.

"If it wasn't for the fact that he is coming, we won't be here. Try not to scare him or we would have a ton of trouble later." The newcomer lamented as he slowly walked towards the two of us. Examining me closely for a few moments, he let out a hum of approval.

"The kid's experienced with a sword. No doubt he has some skill. Or maybe it's luck? Ahh, who cares. He still has a long way to go before any of us can even consider him to be a worthy opponent."

A satisfied smirk was pasted across his face.

He turned towards the man mountain standing beside him before focusing back on me.

No… he isn't looking at me but what's behind me.

Curious, I turned towards where he was looking at.

Someone was staring at me intensely. Our faces were mere inches apart. Flustered, I hurriedly backed away from her.

Her eyes continued to bore holes into me. I stared at her as well, wondering what she wanted from me. She had a fair complexion and long blonde hair that extends down to her waist. She was also kind of tall for a girl and I had to look up at her. Observing her from a safe distance, I noticed how she didn't seem to possess any semblance of an expression on her face as she watched me. If I have to use one word to describe her, it would probably be 'mysterious'. I was unable to figure out what she could be thinking, mainly caused by the blank expression on her face. A few more seconds passed and still no words were uttered by either one of us. With each passing second, I was becoming more and more uncomfortable under her gaze.

Confused and disturbed, I looked towards the previous two people, hoping that they would provide me with an explanation.

The man mountain didn't say anything and continued to watch over our interaction in silence. The only sound that could be heard was from the feral person, who was stifling his laughter as he watches over my exchange with the girl before me.

"Can I ask why she's staring at me?" Unable to bear her staring, I meekly let out my voice that only he could hear clearly.

"She's just curious." His laughter threatened to escape from his mouth with each passing word. "She'll stop after a while… probably."

"Probably? So there's a chance she won't stop? Not that I have anything against her or anything but it's kind of discomforting, so I hope you could have her stop..."

"Why not just ask her yourself? Won't that be easier for you?" his teasing is too obvious. I am definitely not falling for it.

"I could, but I think it would be more effective if she heard from someone she know. Since you have known her longer than me, naturally I asked you."

"Sorry to break it to you, but even I can't stop her. She doesn't really listen to any of us. She just does what she wants most of the times. You can try it out yourself, but it's best you endure." All sort of hopes I had for him was lost. No good. He doesn't just look unreliable, he is unreliable.

If his words don't have any effect on her, then what use are mine.

Which reminds me…

"Say, what are your names?"

Power of words sure is amazing. It was a sight to behold how rapid the expressions on three different faces changed just from my words. Even the girl staring at me flinched and looked away for a second before fixing her eyes back on me.

"We do have names which we got from our memories but we are uncertain whether they are ours or someone else's." his expressions were one which I was unsure of. Is that doubt or is that mockery?

"Why would you doubt your own name? Isn't that weird? It's like saying that your memories aren't reliable."

His eyes shifted to the man mountain beside him and the woman who is experimentally poking my cheeks as if I was some fragile stuffed toy. Since the woman didn't even spare them a glance, the two man could only look at each other before the feral man sighed.

Turning his head to look at me, I witnessed a sad smile stretch across his face. It was as if he wanted to say something but can't.

"I think it's best if he tells you. We would just confuse you if we tried to explain. He does a much better job than us at such things." he finally muttered.

"Who's he?"

"The person controlling you and talking to you before you came here."

"... and who exactly is he? I heard his voice but did not see his face."

"He's just like us. Come, we'll lead you to him." I was puzzled whether or not I was looking forward to meeting this person. Since coming here, all of the people I met was either slight eccentrics or downright weird. I have these people here as evidence. I rest my case.

We headed towards the hill littered with marble white gravestones and pristine swords. Though the hill was some distances away, it only took a few moments to reach here. I started taking note of how fast we were approaching our destination after a while.

"Distance… not constant… changes." Her first words since our meeting were short and vague answers to an unspoken question which came with awkward pauses after every one or two words, like as if she was shy or hesitant. In some ways, it reminds me of how Luna was when we first met, just not as many pauses as this girl had.

"T-Thank you?" Her answer did provide some sort of clue as to why we were traveling so fast. As far as I could see, their every step covered the average distance that any person would cover. With the distance between where we were and where we are heading to, time in the tens of minutes would be the minimum amount spent for us to arrive. However, only five minutes passed and the mountain was before us.

I was unable to find any sort of clue to serve as a reason for our fast travels. The girl's answer did shed some light on the matter. Sadly, it was comparable to a small candlelight attempting to light up a dark ballroom.

Which reminds me…

"U-Ummm, could you let me go?" Her arms coiled even tighter around my chest once the words left my mouth, signaling her rejection of my proposal. I could only content myself with being a stuffed animal in her arms, having to be carried around and hugged all the time. It came as a pleasant(?) surprise when she picked me up but soon turned to be an annoyance and a jab at my pride as a man once I was rejected from being let down to walk on my own. It would have been great if she could reflect more emotions on her face. That way I wouldn't be so embarrassed having to be carried around. Even her speech was monotonous. What's this? A female version of Blade?

So far, there were only two expressions I have seen from her. A normal emotionless expression and a satisfied expression, both of which seems to be no different from one another. Her satisfied look was revealed when she had me in her arms. At least she displayed emotions, unlike Blade who can only vocalize his emotions instead of displaying it.

When we were close enough, the marble white gravestones started glowing faintly. A beautiful scenery was formed just from these lights. Small particles floating around in the air started to emanate a warm glow. The swords themselves also gave off such effects, blinding me as we approached closer. Once my eyes adjusted to the light, more details could be unearthed. The was no markings or words engraved on the gravestones. The swords were also lacking in detail, some even looked to be made purely out of white light and nothing else. A gravestone, a sword, followed by a gravestone again. The pattern repeats itself and spirals itself around this black hill. We followed this white lined path, circling countless times around this hill. Each circle was shorter than the last and eventually, we reached the top of the hill.

I was too busy being captivated by the sights to be inquiring them about the road upwards. Even after the journey ended, no words of question let itself out.

At the top of the hill lies a relatively large clearing of dark earth. Within this clearing was an out-of-place cottage. Small puffs of grey smoke clouds floated out from the brick formed chimney at the top of the cottage.

Gingerly placed down on the ground with evident reluctance, I was given a reassuring pat on the back before being pushed towards the door of the cottage.

I looked back towards them, who were already turning to leave. I guess they were not staying. I turned back and reached for the door handle.

Oddly, my hands were trembling. Sweat was forming on my palms as well, causing some weird feeling to arise every time something touches my hands. Questions start to emerge.

What's going to happen?

Why am I hesitating?

What can I expect if I open this door?

What will be different from now on?

Am I going to be okay?

Taking a deep breath to muster up whatever scraps of courage I have left, my hands reached forwards and pushed down on the handle of the door.

The door slowly swung open, revealing a nice warm house. I didn't realize that the air outside was cold until I entered this house. I took small steps as I ventured inside. There is a wall mirror placed near the front door of the house, allowing me to see myself from head to toe. The house resembles everything an ordinary civilian's house would look like. I looked around the house, taking in the homely atmosphere that emanates from every corner of the house.

Now that I look carefully, isn't this place familiar? I've seen it somewhere, but couldn't place a finger on the exact time or location.

My eyes lay upon the figure of a man in his mid-twenties sitting comfortably on the sofa. He seemed ordinary, the kind of face which one wouldn't remember if you only glance at him for a while. Bespectacled, with black hair. His eyes scanned all over me. Chills were sent throughout my body just from his looks. Was he sizing me up?

I really feel uncomfortable now.

"So dragging your mind in here produces such results. It seems to project yourself in the state you were in before you fell unconscious. And it seems the location where you end up in is random. Interesting experience." His mumbles to himself discomforted me even further, like as if he was in a world of his own surrounded with his thoughts of results he obtained from observations. I was grandly ignored and left to wonder what it was I should be doing.

"U-umm… could you explain to me what's going on? What is this place? And wha-" A hand placed upwards at me halted all questions I was about to ask.

"Firstly, I'll say this. Time here is not constant and doesn't always flow at the same rate as time outside. Results I acquired from some experiments I did some time ago. So take your time to collect your thoughts. When you are done thinking, shoot out all of your questions all in one go. I'll give you whatever information you need to satisfy all your questions, only when I deem you can take them. The last thing I need is you confused and getting wrong impressions about things I'll be saying."

"Where is this place?... who were those people? What is going on here? Umm..wha-" A befuddled look was etched onto his face as though done by a knife. One of his hands was raised, signaling me to halt whatever questions I still have.

"Odd. I find it very odd. Aren't you gonna question about the Imperial Arm? Based on what little information I possess, you don't seem to be aware of its existence."

"That was an Imperial Arm?"

"What did you think it was?"

"I don't know... Besides, I don't remember ever having obtained an Imperial Arm. So, I couldn't help but think it was something else." I did recall him saying something about an Imperial Arm, but I was too preoccupied with whatever was going on and it slipped from my mind.

"That's strange. Are you saying you don't remember when you got it? It should be a memorable moment for anyone to acquire a rare weapon capable of miracles." It seems he misunderstood what I was saying.

"No. I'm saying that I didn't even know I had the Imperial Arm in the first place."

"..."

"..."

There was this silence that transpired between the two of us. It was calming, yet contain the feeling of impending doom, especially when it seems that it was going to be caused by this person before me.

"So you only mention that now? Why didn't you mention it sooner? Don't answer. I think I already know the answer." His volume increased to an extent that expressed his irritation, yet wasn't loud enough to display irritation. His fingers began to trace small circles on his temples.

"Do you have any clue why you don't have any memory of obtaining the Imperial Arm?" I put my hands to my chin and began to ponder. Not many reasons can explain how I can forget about how I acquired a weapon that was so rare and powerful. Could it be that I lost my memories?

I produced my thoughts to him, who only nodded.

"Amnesia huh? I'm surprised. So what's your earliest memory?" I tried to retrace my memories. The earliest memory, would be my parent's death? No, wait. I have memories of them. So I guess it should be before that. Retracing memories even further was hard. The memories were fuzzy and distorted. It is starting to hurt just thinking about it.

"If I'm not wrong, my earliest memory was about my parents. It should be about… can't remember anymore. It was fuzzy but that was the earliest I can think of."

His brow furrowed and his left hand reached to stroke his chin. Had there been any sort of facial hair there I would have ignored his actions.

"Huh. I see. Any other questions?" He seems to have a lot to think about, seeing as how unfocused and uncaring he was towards what I was going to say next. Yet perhaps it was because of the things he was thinking that he continued to listen to what I was going to say.

"Umm… the ones I mentioned before were some of the major questions"

"I see. Okay. I'll explain everything to you. Hopefully, your answers to questions you haven't raised would also be here." He paused and his hands started adjusting his glasses that rest on the bridge of his nose. After a moment of pause to recollect his thoughts, he spoke again.

"This world is… a space which our minds are connected to, I think. I'm not very sure either. The people who were with you before, and even me are supposed to be the previous users of the Imperial Arm. We are not very sure about our identities either. Our memories given were very detailed, but we doubt whether these memories are really ours. After all, an Imperial Arm is capable of many things that we can't comprehend. If you want evidence, where you are is a good example. This world was created by the Imperial Arm and it connected all of our thoughts and minds to it. No way something like this can be achieved without an Imperial Arm."

His eyes were no longer on me, moving all over the room we are in. At some point, he had stood up from the sofa and started to move around the room. I moved with him, staying at an arm's length from him. He carries answers that I need. Sometimes he would stop at the frames of empty pictures that hung on the wall with the help of a rusty nail. The metal string that carried the pictures displayed age, threatening to snap at any moment. I looked past his shoulders to see what he was peering into. I wonder what it was he was seeing through his eyes that would have captured his attention for so long.

"All of us supposed past wielders of the Imperial Arm can exercise some kind of power here. With our mind, we can create structures here, peek through your eyes to see what's it like in reality and also relive the events that occurred in our memories. This house you are in is one such example."

"Then what about this mountain of graves and swords which your house lies on?" I inquired.

"The name you gave for this structure is kinda cheesy. Ever since I opened my eyes when I first arrived, it has been there. We have no idea whether it's created or simply a naturally existing structure." his answers isn't helpful. Is he really reliable?

"Moving on, this world we are in is immense. Many of us have tried to reach to the edge of this world to see how large it could be. Some of us even tried to scale some of the structure to see how high we can reach. We would have succeeded if not for one problem. We would always be sent back to this mountain structure every time we reach a certain distance away. We also noticed some other things that are strange. One would reach the mountain faster if they were walking towards it as compared to when they were walking away from it."

"So distance isn't constant?" The words of that mysterious and creepy girl echoed in my head, allowing me to shed some light as to what her words meant.

"Well, it a theory. But then again this isn't a physical world, only one created by the weapon's mind as a representation of the things within its mind."

"I see, so it's the min-" I paused as realization finally hits me. Eyes wide as saucers as this tiny piece of information started to invade my mind, spreading to all corner of my mind before it is the only thing on my mind. I could see how the person before me displays an expression that could only be described as a mix of relief and annoyance. Relief that I finally got what he meant in his words and annoyed that I only finally got what he meant in his words.

"So it's still…" I didn't need to finish my sentence. A single nod from him was the answer to my unfinished question. Some form of fear begins to take root inside of my mind. My head hurts.

How nice it would be if I was left unaware.

"So… does it have intelligence or self-awareness?" He only shrugged his shoulders, signaling to me how even he doesn't know.

A heavy weight was placed on me. It isn't called responsibility or burden, but some indescribable feeling I've never felt before. If I were to guess, I would say it was along the lines of fear. Frightful of what was inside of me, yet being able to anything about it.

That's it. It's called being depressed… I think.

I could feel eyes from somewhere was staring at me. My eyes darted towards all directions. The walls seemed alive. The sky itself was closing on me. Is it me or is the temperature within the room gradually getting higher and higher? Small beads of sweat began to emerge and trickle down the sides of my face once it grew large enough. It felt as if I was a goldfish being thrown into the middle of a large ocean, becoming overly aware of your surroundings once you realize what transpired.

"Oi, you alright?" A distant voice called out to me.

The light coming from outside the window no longer gave off any sort of warmth. If anything, it has become even more sinister as each second passes. The voice calling for me started to resemble cries akin to a tortured man's scream; shrill and painful.

The hand that's shaking me broke me out of my thoughts. At some point when I was wondering how my surroundings became omnious, the person speaking to me had stood up from where he was and walked over to me. I must have been pretty distracted if I wasn't even able to notice his approach.

My eyes stared into his hoping for some kind of reassurance from him, but the instant it met his an even greater fear took hold of me. I looked elsewhere… anywhere that wouldn't inspire even more fear than I have already experienced.

"Keep it together, kid." That was the only form of comfort that he provided for me. Words which wasn't much but was capable of taking away some of my fear away. Maybe it was because I was thinking how everyone else here has to live with this feeling the whole time that comforted me.

My hands reached for my face, and it was only then I realized how I was sweating buckets of cold sweat. I rubbed those beads of sweat that stuck to my face onto the sleeves of the shirt I don.

"Let's call it a day. You clearly don't look like you're in any state for more questions, given how your usual pale complexion looked even paler than when you walked into this room."

"No, don't mind me. Please continue. I still have a lot of questions to ask." I pleaded for him to heed my suggestion. My body screamed for rest, but my mind beckons otherwise. It feels like as if my instincts were signaling to me how I should stay and find out more. My head throbs painfully and it's starting to hurt thinking about things, but I can't stop here.

"*sigh* I say again. You are not in a state for more question and answers. I'll send you back. I'll get you in here again once I feel you're ready for more." He relented after a long moment of silence where he constantly stares at my face.

The disappointment on my face wasn't enough to have him reconsider his decision. I could only content myself with whatever meager information he had just provided me.

He stood up from where he was seated and spread out all of the fingers on his right hand, having his palms facing me.

Black particles began to encircle me, swirling around me with increasing ferocity. My hands were already in front of my face, instinctively protecting me from whatever was going to happen. My eyes sting from the wind and I had to narrow them in order to be able to see what was going to happen. Sounds of wind rushing past my ears started to pick up in volume. My eyes darted around in panic. I began to notice how the black particles seem to be gushing out from his palm.

The surroundings started to lose its features. The walls of the house started to fade becoming translucent and eventually fading into nothingness. Next was the furniture, reduced to a mixture of ethereal lines weaved together by a skilled designer, which also fades away as though it was never there. Oddly, even though the walls were no longer there, I couldn't see any of the sights I saw when I first entered. There was only a white radiant light glowing outside.

I don't know whether it is of significance, but I noticed from when I first entered this world. I wanted to ask, but I was too engrossed with other things that were thrown in my face since coming here that it didn't feel important anymore.

Is it normal for them to have black eyeballs? It looks cool though…

Ah… I forgot to ask for their names as well... I'll just ask them again next time I'm here.

* * *

 **Hey there!**

 **First off, I want to clarify that the previous arc together with the current arc which features non-canon plotlines serves a very obvious purpose in this fanfiction.**

 **I admit that my grammar and vocabulary might not be the best, but I can only ask that you bear with it.**

 **Also, since this is a fantasy world, I would be bringing in all kinds of fictitious elements found only in stories. Magic won't be added. It is too much of a panacea. The only magic here would be the Imperial Arms, which defies logic.**

 **Just so you know, I based Tatsumi's Imperial Arm on a variety of things from other franchises, mainly Light Novels. If you have read 'Sevens', you might find things here very familiar to you. I finished that Light Novel recently and it was a pity that it ended. The character development was good, and as we progress the story we slowly watched as the main character grows from an unreliable person with tons of issues to a schemer (thanks to certain people in a certain place) and eventually, an Emperor.**

 **One thing in this entire fanfiction that I have been wanting to implement was the concept of nobility playing a more active part than just being helplessly slaughtered one-sidedly. I do understand that Akame Ga Kill is a series that tells of a group of assassins that work against a corrupted Empire and doesn't focus much on anything else irrelevant. Of course, all of the nobles are OCs. I will be adding a lot of OCs into this story solely to further the plot. If you don't like it, I highly suggest you drop this.**

 **I should probably get this story progressing at a faster rate, and increase the word count per chapter. I kind of want to finish this story fast and work on my other stories. This is probably why my other stories aren't updating. My friends and I focused all of our time to planning and writing on this story solely and temporarily put our other stories on hiatus. We might have one or two chapters out, but that would take an even longer time than before.**

 **I've been busy with my current full-time job before I go to University and catching up on mangas, animes, and light novels, and my commitments to some games and lessons… I really have too little time.**

 **I'm sorry for releasing this so late. Heck, I don't even remember when was the last time I released the previous chapter.**

 **So with all these things said, I'll probably not know when I'll update again. Maybe it'll be next week, maybe it'll be next month. I don't really know.**

 **I just hope you'll be here again when I update again…**

 **With that said, please review! I do enjoy reading your feedback in my free time. It keeps me from the thoughts of dropping this story… That somehow sounds like a threat doesn't it? I swear I really didn't mean anything when I write that…**

 **Anyways… I'll see you next time…**

 **Have a nice day!**


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